The Lost Child of Azarath
by TimeLordParadox
Summary: Raven is evil; that's what the Monks of Azarath tell her. Born to a demon father with the wrong heritage; and she's trapped here. Until she sneaks aboard a Gallifreyan Time Ship; not for a better life, but just to be left alone. Unfortunately the pilot loves to walk into trouble, and she always has to help him. "You're not evil." The Doctor insists. But Raven doesn't believe him.
1. Prologue

**Plot:** Raven is evil. Not just bad; but totally evil. Or at least, that's what the Monks of Azarath have been drilling into her, her entire life. Born to the wrong father, the wrong way and with the wrong heritage, Raven is reviled by the people she lives amongst; and she's trapped there.

That is until she hides deep in the bowels of a visiting Gallifreyan Time Capsule; not to find a better life, nor to repent; but just so the judgemental universe will leave her alone.

Unfortunately, the preachy, goodie-goodie Time Lord pilot of this machine usually needs rescuing from dangers he willingly walks into; and she constantly and tirelessly has to rescue him.

"You're not evil." He tries to prove to her. But she doesn't believe him; and never will.

"Universe. I am Raven, I will cause THE END... and I... I... I'm sorry."

* * *

 **Prologue**

"Azarath, Metrion, Zynthos" breathe in deeply, and breathe out, "Azarath, Metrion, Zynthos." Breathe in deeply, and breathe out. "Azarath, Metrion, Zynthos."

It was done, her hourly meditation was over. Gently she lowered herself to the ground, over which she had been hovering and stood up. Hourly meditation to her was like exercise for her mind. It had many health benefits mentally if you could concentrate.

Indeed, and she was impressed by her meditation partners concentration. Her ability to clear her mind, focus and channel what little psychic abilities she had was amazing considering she was usually explosively emotional. While in the ether between world they had danced around each other in spiritual form.

Raven, a pale girl in her late teens smiled, but just a little, she had an image to uphold as a moody monster after all. She had smiled because her friend Star Fire was concentrating so hard she hadn't realised the hour was up. Star had a habit of taking things to extremes. Raven guessed she had to expect that, with Star being an alien.

"Star Fire," Raven said in a low, raspy voice, "you can stop now."

As Star Fire opened her eyes Ravens little smile reduced a little. Not because anything was wrong, but because she still wasn't used to expressing herself. She was capable of expressing herself in times of extreme joy or happiness, but while neutral she choose to keep it hidden.

Star Fire was a girl nearly a head taller than her. Her long red hair shone with life where as Raven's was a shorter, dull, greasy blue-ish purple. Star Fire also had rich, orange skin. When Raven first set eyes on her she'd assumed Star Fire had gone way overboard with something called 'fake tan,' but when Star Fire showed she could fire energy blasts from her hands and eyes it kind of threw that theory out the window.

Star Fire smiled, her eyes practically glowing with life and interest. Suddenly she flung her arms out and squealed, her body bursting with emotion. "Oh, Raven, that was the most joyous, wondrous thing I've ever experienced in meditation!"

Raven raised an eyebrow. "Our consciousnesses just connected for a second, that's all." Star Fire often over reacted to mundane things, they were alien to her after all, but she found joy in almost everything new. When Raven first met her, she thought Star Fire was being patronising by her interest in meditation, but a quick scan of her aura told Raven that Star Fire was entirely sincere.

"Oh yes, but it was the most joyous thing!" Star Fire was obviously seeing more in the psychic gesture than Raven meant. But Raven shrugged. It made her happy to think that, so she didn't bother correcting her. She was so passionate about these things, something Raven wasn't really capable of, not because she couldn't, but because she just can't.

Around the room candles in candelabras lit up at the behest of Raven and her strange psychic powers.

Ravens room was dark, mysterious, gothic and depressing. Just the way she liked it. All colours were dulled and the place had a blue, cold and moody look to it. Which made Star Fire stand out all the more in her brighter colours of red, orange and purple. Raven kind of blended in with her black attire complete with dark blue hooded cloak.

"Perhaps we can partake in going to this 'mall' place humans frequent so much?" Star Fire suggested. She had such an usual way of speaking because of her alien heritage, and it sometimes took a couple of seconds to understand what the hell she was talking about.

Raven sighed. She actually didn't like the mall all that much. She went mostly just to hang out with her friends. The mall was busy, noisy, people were rude and worst of all there would probably be fans there.

Raven, Star Fire and the rest of their friends were what were called Teen Titans, a group of teenage super heroes who fought crime and beat up bad guys. Since joining this team Raven had gained a number of fans. But she kind of found fans to be on the creepy side, almost stalker like, that counted for both the male and female ones. Some, she got the feeling, were just patronising her just to get her into whatever local social cult they wanted to add her voice to. Yeah, she was very cynical of people, so sue her, she had every right to be wary of people and their true intentions.

"Not today." Raven said, realising she'd left Star Fire hanging. "Maybe later."

"Ouch!" Star Fire cried when she walked into something, "Where on Tamaran did this come from?"

Raven looked down at Star Fires feet. She'd stubbed her foot against a small, black, wooden box. It had a strange swirling pattern on it of an infinity sign, in a circle. The box had not been there before, and Ravens eyes grew wide at the sight of that symbol.

"This wasn't here before." Star Fire said, kneeling down to examine the box further.

"Don't open it!" Raven cried and Star Fire jumped back away from it. Raven took a deep breath, she'd over reacted. "Sorry."

"Do you know what this box is?" Star Fire asked.

"Yes," Raven knelt down and resting her hands on its surface, "It's mine." She ran her fingers through its carved surface to make sure it was real and not just her imagination.

"Is it from Azarath?" Star Fire asked. Azarath was Ravens home dimension where she'd been born. It had long since been destroyed by the demon Trigon, Raven's father.

"No." Raven said as a mixture of emotions and memories flowed through her mind. "It's actually from Gallifrey."

Star Fire took a step back and a long deep breath, her eyes grew wide and her face lit up in admiration.

"This is a gift from the Time Lords?!" She exclaimed. "The mythical, mysterious defenders of the Web of Time?"

"You've... heard of them?" Raven was surprised.

"Oh yes. There are many stories and myths about them spread all across the Vega system!" They are like the Gods of your world to us. Some benevolent, kind and generous; others vengeful and destructive. That's their seal isn't it?" Star Fire pointed at the symbol on the box. "Where they intending to aid in your fight to defeat Trigon?"

"Actually..." Raven said, her hands laying on either side of the box, "They wanted to destroy me."

Star Fires happy mood came to a crashing halt. "Oh..."

"They're more like corrupt senators than Gods." Raven said, through out this she had not taken her eyes off the box.

"Surely, all is forgiven now, since Trigon is destroyed." Star Fire added quietly.

"This trunk didn't come from the Time Lord High Council." Raven said, a lump forming in her throat as she opened the box and its lid swung back on hinges. "It came from a specific Time Lord."

Inside were an assortment of odd looking objects. A stone which looked like it glowed brightly, a red book with the words 'Dracula, by Briam Stoker' printed on it; some kind of destroyed pistol, a rolled up guitar string. There were other objects but those were the ones that could be seen clearly. Under all that was even more stuff.

Raven gazed at the objects, each one conjuring a memory of some sort.

"You have a Time Lord admirer?" Star Fire asked with a smile.

"Not exactly." Raven said, reaching in and picking up the Dracula book and resting her hands on it as if to check it was real.

"Who? Who was this Time Lord?"

"He called himself the Doctor." Raven felt through the ether what would amount to smashing glass. Star Fire looked like she was about to have a heart attack or something.

"YOU KNEW THE DOCTOR?!" Star Fire was on her knees and by her side in a second. "The Time Lord of legend?! Times Champion? The 'On Coming Storm'? The one known as 'the Sandman' in the Galyari culture?"

"I had no idea his resume was so large." Raven said drily.

"But you knew him?! He gifted you this box?" Star Fire looked inside, her head almost disappearing into it. She withdrew her head slowly. "What... lovely objects. Do they have a significance to you, Friend Raven?"

"More than I can say in a number of words." Raven said and began fishing for something in particular inside it.

"Which Doctor did you meet?" Star Fire could hardly contain herself. The Doctor clearly had a bigger name than even had Raven thought. "The Spiky haired one? The curly haired scarfed one? The flute player? It was the magician wasn't it?!"

"Umm..." it was actually a complicated question to answer, "Technically curly hair and scarf, first. Then a short man with an umbrella..." Raven found it, and pulled from the box a carved wooden puppet of a man with longish, unkempt hair who was wearing a grey waistcoat with a cravat, white trousers and a long dark green coat of crushed velvet. Raven stared at it resting her fingers against its face, her eyes were actually starting to tear up, but she blinked a few times to clear them and hide the fact she was getting emotional, "...and then he became this one."

"You witnessed the miracle of the Time Lords?" Star Fire squealed again. "You saw a regeneration?! What an honour!"

"No," Raven said flatly, "I kind of missed out on that miracle. Or the Doctors at least." She rested the puppet on the floor next to her, its back resting against her leg, and she found something else. A small, blue box of a panelled design that fitted into the palm of her hand. "Each of these things I collected as I travelled with him." Quickly Raven held up her hand to stop Star Fire exploding with joy again. "I'm guessing it's an honour to have done so. I don't need my eardrums bursting, thanks."

Star Fire looked like she could hardly contain herself.

"Calm, tranquillity, peace!" Raven said sternly, and Star Fire slowly calmed down. Raven held up the box in her hands. It was blue, had two windows on either side and had a lamp on top.

"That's a model of the TARDIS! His Time Capsule!" Star Fire said, staring at it.

"Actually, it's just a Police Box." Raven said with a smirk "Literally, it is a real one." She tipped it up and the doors fell open outwardly, a panel on the front flew open and the handset of a tiny telephone dropped out on a cord. It was a Police Box, shrunken down. "A souvenir from seventies Britain, they were being phased out and were being destroyed." Raven used her powers to force everything back inside the Police Box. "I 'rescued' this one to keep."

"Oh, tell me you both went on many adventures together!" Star Fire said, "The Doctor and his companion were famous for their adventures."

"I wasn't his 'companion'." Raven said quite firmly, "I liked to see myself as his 'bodyguard'. He'd always get himself into trouble, and then I'd have to dig him out of it." She looked at the Police Box in her hands.

"I actually stowed away onboard the TARDIS, and I had no intention of ever stepping outside the walls of that Police Box, ever. At first." She allowed herself a small laugh. "It was just a desperate notion I had." A memory flittered through her mind. "I was ignorant, selfish, and self absorbed at times. I was a different person back then, even before I joined the Titans. I was more grumpy, miserable, and aggressive. If things had turned out differently, I may have been your adversary rather than your friend. I will admit I needed the Universe to give my immature butt a few hard kicks."

The Police Box was plucked from her hands by her powers and began rotating on its axis. The light on its roof began to flash on and off, all at the command of Raven's powers. Raven knew her eyes were currently glowing with power as she did this.

Motioning with her hands a cylinder of dark and white energy appeared around the box and made it look like it was flying down a swirling vortex of energy. The Time Vortex.

"It also made a noise as it went." Raven's powers plucked the guitar string from the box and stretched it out. Then from the box came a broken key of some kind, and sharply she made the key rake down the string so it produced a high pitched noise. "No, that's not it." Both the key and the string were now engulfed in a bubble of black energy and as the key raked up and down the string Raven altered the sound waves until she got the correct pitch. This might have been simpler with a string from a different instrument, a piano maybe, but eventually she had the right noise. A Wheezy, groan. "That's it."

Turning her attention back to the spinning Police Box she suddenly got a huge sense of nostalgia watching the Police Box tumble through her conjured vortex as that noise, that familiar noise sounded.

"Oh, please, please, please friend Raven, tell me this tale of your past!" Star Fire drew herself closer, like a child desperate for their parent to read them a bedtime story. Raven allowed herself another smile as her eyes glowed still. The hood of her cloak was suddenly flipped up, casting her eyes into shadow, but the light from them still pierced through the darkness.

Raven wasn't very good at telling stories, or she thought she was. Nor did she like telling tales about her past. But Star Fire was such a good friend she felt she could trust her with these tales of her past.

"Very well." Raven said, focusing her attention on the Police Box and she allowed her memories to be expressed. "This is the story of how I met the Doctor. Probably the first, true person I could call my friend."

* * *

**Cue Teen Titans or 8's Doctor Who theme music! Whichever you prefer. Personally I'd prefer 8's for this story. :P**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** Just a few things.

Believe it or not, this started as a simple, short story posed by an old girlfriend. But the more I wrote, the more I let my imagination run away with it. A habit, I know. :P

This story features briefly the 7th Doctor but focuses on the 8th. So apologies if you expecting a more modern Doctor to interact with Raven. Also the interaction I'm going within this story is that of the fun uncle and the moody-teen niece.

This takes place before the Teen Titans TV show for Raven, and both before, and after the TV movie for the Doctor. (Why not check out the TV Movie? seriously. It's nearer the style of Modern Who than it is Classic Who, and will help you understand the 8th Doctor.)

The version of Raven in this story is going to be a regressed version of the one in the Teen Titans TV show. She's younger, more arrogant, ruder, even quicker to anger, has a lot more issues.

Yes, I wrote Star Fire as an over-excited Doctor Who fangirl. That's not too difficult since she has so much explosive enthusiasm for everything.

Cheers and please, enjoy the story.

-TimeLordParadox


	2. Bk1 Chapter 1, Nevermore

**Doctor Who/Teen Titans**

 **The Lost Child of Azarath**

 **by TimeLordParadox**

 **(A.K.A. Ross Pickering)**

 **BOOK 1  
The Dimensions of Space and Time**

 **Chapter 1**

 **Nevermore**

Calmness, stillness, peace. That's what she needed so badly. Peace from the turbulence in her mind, the storm, the guilt, all of it. It was driving her mad. She couldn't concentrate, she couldn't meditate with the flashes of what she had seen, what she was destined to do, flashing in her mind. Her eyes snapped open, she didn't want to have to look at the faces of the dead anymore. The vision was in her mind and she could see all those rotting faces the moment she closed her eyes.

Tears were welling up in her eyes but she fought them back, she tried to control herself, to control her emotions. She would not crack, she would not feel. What was wrong with her? She was a Monk of Azarath, she should be able to control herself. But what she had seen, it was too horrifying, even for her.

Raven was a young girl in her mid-late teens. She was petite, slim with a defined hourglass figure that was hidden under her long Azarathian robes and a long, dark blue cloak. The top part of her head and eyes were cast in shadow with her cowl. The cowl had a lip on the end which cast a beak-like shadow across her face. In the middle of her forehead was a jewel, a symbol of her power, and her curse.

Everyone here feared it, as did she. The only one who supported her was her tutor Azar. He'd taught her from a young age how to control her powers and discipline her mind. She hadn't really grown close to him, he was more a teacher. But despite that she was still reeling from his death. He'd died in mysterious circumstances, and she wasn't allowed to attend the funeral because her presence would apparently upset people.

 _But he was my tutor._ She thought. _I... I wanted to say Goodbye._

No. Death was death. Azar was gone, nothing she could do could change that. Saying goodbye to a corpse would be pointless. Despite repeating that thought again and again in her head she still felt miserable.

In a state of emotion, she had done what she was forbidden to do and look into her own future just to see if she would still be unhappy. For some reason, she was always forbidden to look into her own future, but with Azar dead and her future uncertain and looking bleak she decided to ignore that warning and take a look. But she hadn't found peace. Instead, she had seen death and destruction on a massive scale. And it was all her fault.

She didn't want to think about this. It upset her greatly, and if the Monks of Azarath had taught her anything it's that emotions, though useful, had their drawbacks when it came to matters of the mind and intellect. Raven disagreed entirely, emotions were utterly dangerous and opened you up to nothing but hurt and manipulation which is why she trained herself to feel nearly no emotions at all. She felt effectively dead inside, only then could she find peace in the world she inhabits. She didn't trust anyone, she didn't really like anyone, except maybe her mother or her tutor, everyone else she suspected secretly judged her because they knew she would lead them all to ruin.

She got up from her very basic quarters and stomped around the place trying to clear her head. Instead of focusing inside herself she projected her mind out to see what was going on in the temple. Nothing. Nothing interesting was going on at all! It was as boring as ever! Nothing interesting enough to take her mind off her troubles. Except, no, wait. There was something; or rather a lack of something.

There was a small space in the main hall, she couldn't sense anything in it. It was like a small void of nothing, just nothing. She'd never sensed anything like this before. Hadn't the other Monks noticed it? Did they know about it? This might be something to take her mind off the horrors in her head and right now she didn't care if it was a mundane thing or not. She had to get out of her room.

She opened the door to her quarters. Some of the other children of Azarath were playing with a ball near her dorm. She hated children, children were the worst of any of them because they didn't hide their prejudices as adults did, they expressed them and they could be harsh. The children stopped and stared at her as she left her quarters the door snapping shut behind her.

One of the boys decided to throw their toy ball directly at her, deliberately, really hard and really fast. Raven did precisely what she wasn't supposed to. The ball stopped in mid-air shrouded in black energy. She'd caught the ball with her strange telekinetic powers, and she fired it right back at them with such speed that it hit the boy so hard it ripped him off his feet and he landed in the short grass with a loud thump.

Irritated with herself for reacting that way she walked on trying to avoid contact with as many people as possible. She didn't like talking, what was there to talk about? Azarath was an isolated hunk of rock between dimensions, nothing ever happened that was worth talking about except for the occasional visitor.

There was no one who could understand what she was feeling, the pain she was going through. All the Monks had to worry about was whether their robes were clean as could be. Raven felt like she was being shunned even though everyone pretended not to. She had the power to squash them all like a bug and it was ever so tempting to do, but she mustn't. It would bring her so much emotional satisfaction to cause them so much hurt. What stopped her doing it though was that she realised if she met a person like herself she'd probably shun them too, push them away, think they were dangerous. She wouldn't seek out or bully, but she'd try to keep them out of her life and out of her way. And that's what the people here were like. Peaceful, pacifists but still careful and judgemental.

She walked past a dorm and a woman grabbed her son of about eight and pulled him close to her to protect him from her, 'the monster'. Raven imagined she was their bogeyman, a flesh and blood icon to threaten their kids with into being good. The mother stared at her as if steak knives were about to pop out and even after Raven passed she forced her son into the house. Raven could sense the fear was still there even after she had gone.

She hurried, more eyes were on her. People gossiped and talked about her whenever she entered a room making the place instantly uncomfortable for her. They talked in hushed voices but she wasn't stupid, using her powers she could hear everything they said. The people in the temple didn't much like her either and she didn't like them. She didn't blame them for not liking her. Her father was a demon. Not just a bad person but a literal, evil demon; and they hated demons.

 _But I'm not evil!_ Her mind cried.

Power escaped her, and she saw a wall-mounted candelabra, covered in darkness, slowly bend and twist out of shape. She hadn't meant to do that! _Stop feeling! Stop emoting! Keep your emotions in check._

Emotions were her enemy, they ruled her powers. It was rare she ever lost control of her powers but when she did she always held back. She could do so much damage but she had enough of a conscience to stop herself.

Azar had tried to drill a discipline into her so she could better control these powers as they grew. But puberty threw a wrench into the works. Her hormones created an emotional imbalance and she was now quick to anger as the Monks had noticed. They treated her like a bad guy for lashing out at people, and the painful thing was they were right, it was her fault because she just couldn't keep her emotions in check. Azar was supportive and tried to understand, but there was only so much he could do. She wanted to remain in control but every time she tried it was like this demon inside her forces her to use her powers for twisted means.

Rounding a corner Raven saw something which got under her skin. A younger, boy monk was being teased by some other monks. They had ahold of one of his toys and they were using their own powers to float it just out of his reach. The younger monk, with weaker powers, jumped up and down trying to grab it. He was clearly upset at his treatment. Part of Raven thought to just leave this alone, sometimes you had to learn the world wasn't fair, and that there are bigger and more powerful creatures who will gladly step on you for their own amusement. The boy will have to learn to just let it go.

But for once Raven was gripped by a desire to do something nice.

The pale girl walked up to the gang of monks and said very firmly in a cool, raspy tone.

"Give that back to him." The older monks were spooked when they spun around and saw her with her creepy, glowing eyes. They instantly ran away and dropped the toy, it nearly crashed to the floor. But Raven called it to her hand with her mind. Kneeling down she held out the toy to the child, she hoped her expression was one which showed she was being kind.

Raven's frown went a little further down as the child looked at her in horror, then at the toy in her hand as if it was now tainted. He spun around and ran away, crying his eyes out. He ran up to a woman who was approaching, she knelt down and picked up the child. The woman then spotted Raven still holding out the toy for the child to take, now Raven gestured for the woman to take it from her, but the woman gave Raven a cold look and carried her son away from the pale girl.

Of course. She was the monster. No amount of good deeds were going to persuade the people here she was anything else.

Raven got up and dropped the toy onto the floor. She took a step forward and deliberately crushed the toy under her foot. The kid clearly didn't want it now, and the gesture of it was clearly lost.

Raven really hated kids.

In her rush, Raven stepped on the hem of her skirt and nearly tripped up. She hated this skirt, she hated her robes, they felt so constricting and unnecessary. Why couldn't she wear something comfortable and simpler? These things were a pain to put on and were cumbersome wherever she walked. Some of the Monks of around her age laughed at her for nearly tripping. It must be funny for the monster to clumsily lose her composure.

Raven's eyes glowed bright white and her powers activated. She could think of a million and one things she could do. Stop their hearts, tie a knot in their stomachs, fill their lungs with fluid, turn their skin inside out, swelling their tongues up so they turned blue and fell out, maybe teleport them to a dimension that is just hell.

The Monks saw her looking at them and they began to cower away in fear. She reached out with two clawed hands. Took control of their bodies and forced them to their knees. The Monks resisted, but they were no match for her own powers. In terms of raw psychic power, the small girl was a giant among them, and she could easily play with them like they were her own toys.

She tasted their fear. It was delicious. She intended to force them to the floor and lay there while she walked on top of them.

 _Azar would not approve!_ Said her mind. The glow from her eyes vanished and suddenly it was as if a haze in her brain had suddenly cleared. She'd lost control again.

Raven released them and she watched them scurry away. Yeah, run, here comes the big, bad monster. I'll swallow your soul.

Raven forced herself to walk away. The kids didn't follow to continue tormenting her. If they had she was certain she'd rip their tonsils out. Maybe she should've just stayed in her room.

The pale girl rounded a corner and came to the main hall, its massive ceiling reached out at least three stories making the place look like a grand cathedral. But something stood out in this area, an object alien to this place, something she'd never seen before, nor even sensed had arrived.

It was a tall, blue box. It had a panelled design with two windows on the top of each face. On top was a platform which held a little electric lamp. On one side there appeared to be two doors that separated either outwards or inwards, she couldn't tell. Around each side was the sign which read, 'Police Public Call Box'.

 _Police? Law enforces from Earth?_ She thought. What were they doing here? How could they even get here? She saw another sign, a dark one on the door to her left which read.

Police Telephone

Free for Use of Public

Advice and Assistance Obtainable Immediately

Officers and cars respond to all calls

Pull to Open.

Out of curiosity she reached up and grasped the handle and pulled. The panel popped open revealing... a phone. A black telephone. This thing was just a telephone booth.

"Child!" said a monk closing the panel in front of her "Do not disturb our Time Lord visitors travel machine!"

"Travel Machine? Time Lord?" Raven asked, her voice a rather low with a cool, raspy tone.

"Yes, child, a visitor to the monastery," the monk said, "Please leave his craft alone, you should know better."

"Sorry" Raven said as she turned around and walked away, but waited until the bothersome monk had moved on. She could sense that the Police Box, Travel Machine thing was the source of the void she could sense. What was inside it that was this secret?

"Time Lord," she thought to herself rolling the word in her mind. She'd heard that name before. They were an order like the Monks of Azarath, only their dealings were one of a scientific nature. They had perfected science to such a high degree it was practically an art form to them. They called themselves Time Lords because they had also perfected the technology of Time and Space travel. They were the first species in the multiverse of dimensions to break this barrier and connect all Space and Time, and different dimensions. But by opening this bottle and letting the genie out they had discovered how fragile Time truly was, and so set themselves up as the moral guardians of Time setting it right where foolish time travellers distorted history. Though that was only what was in the books she'd read on the subject. She had a feeling they only told a one-sided, self glorified propaganda story.

She wondered what the Time Lords made of her and her destiny. If they could see all of Time and Space, did they see her at the end of it all?

That blue box must be one of the Time Lords space-time machines. If it was then maybe she could get off of this rock and away from this place. There was nothing left for her here. Azar was dead and she feared what the Order will do with her now, and if they ever found out what she saw in her future things would only get worse for her. What would they do? Imprison her? Isolate her? Destroy her? She couldn't take it! She wanted out, right now!

When no one was looking she approached the mysterious blue box and spotted the lock which clearly needed a Yale key to open. Raven focused her powers on the lock in the hopes of forcing it or breaking it. The lock was stubborn, she could hear the mechanism rattle but it absolutely refused to turn. There was something more to the mechanism than she could sense.

Raven suddenly had her attention drawn away from the lock and to the roof of the machine. It felt as if something had grabbed her mind and her attention, and dragged it up there.

Raven used her powers to levitate up off the ground, just a few feet so she could see over the roof of this box. There was something above the P on the Police Box sign. It was a small latch. She pushed it back and underneath there was a strange-looking object, it looked like a spade the size of her thumb on a chain. She picked it up and she dropped back down before anyone saw her. She looked at the lock, then at the thing in her hands, it clearly wasn't a key. Or was it? She reached up to the lock and... the front of the lock slid to the side? The Yale lock was just a cover for what was underneath. She pushed it aside and there was a slit the spade-like key could fit into.

Cautiously Raven looked left and right before gently sliding the key into the lock. She heard it click and when she turned it strange mechanical noises came from inside the box, and the narrow door to her right suddenly popped open a fraction. Before anyone could see her she stepped through the door... and into a black void? No wait, the void opened up and...

This was impossible! She looked around at her surroundings. She was only in a box about the size of a phone booth but... this was just impossible!

In shock, she stood back over the threshold of the machine and nearly tripped over. She braced herself by gripping onto the left-hand door.

Raven looked around to make sure no one was watching her. She looked over the side of the box and gingerly, as if she should feel something, she waved her hand up and down its side. She pressed her palm against the side of the box and felt a faint vibration. She slowly stepped around the whole box before levitating up and waving her arm over the lamp. There was nothing there, but she behaved like there should be.

Raven lowered herself and stood in front of this Police Box thing. It looked weird and alien and now it was intimidating to her, and she had the creepy feeling 'it' was watching her too. Taking a deep breath Raven took a plunge and she stepped back inside the small box, and took five large steps forward into the void contained within a box less than a few feet wide.

She was now standing in a place larger than the boxes interior dimensions should allow. This place was larger than a house, larger than the main hall outside! And it was all contained within a box no bigger than a phone booth!

She walked past the big, heavy main interior doors which silently swung closed behind her, letting out a clang as they met. The place was silent except for a very faint hum and small clicks of machines. There was a ticking noise and in the corner she saw a collection of clocks all ticking away, all set at precisely the same time.

She walked down some steps coming down from the entrance and walked over a rug on a polished, dark wooden floor as she drank in where she was.

The place was massive. The size of a warehouse. The place had a Gothic, Victorian decoration about it with the wood oak panelling and the metal girders holding up the...

There wasn't even a ceiling! If there was one it disappeared off into a distant night sky, and in the sky were a smattering of stars! Stars? In here?!

The place appeared to be lit by a number of lit candles sitting in candelabra's all over the place and old Victorian gas lights attached to the walls; the only electrical lights came from the centre of this room. It was dominated by a six-sided, wood oak-panelled console which sat on a very Victorian Gothic looking stand of cast iron. A glass tube with crystals inside it rose up into a large, iron chamber held up by six large, metal girders which spread out like spiders legs around the edges of the plinth the console sat on.

Where the heck was she?! This couldn't be inside this box. Could it?

On the far wall there were books, just shelves and shelves of books, an entire library of books! Raven did like books, she preferred books to people, they couldn't judge you and she could escape into whatever fantasy appealed to her.

Looking around the place, its decor, it's atmosphere she decided she liked it. It wasn't her style of Gothic, her tastes were a tad darker but this place had a sense of style she appreciated. It was like a Jules Verne style of steampunk. Indeed she had read Jules Verne though it irritated her teachers that she read stuff not relevant to her studies or meditations.

The demon girl reached out with her mind, and now she felt frightened. She couldn't sense anything beyond these four walls, nothing, no space, no time, nothing. As if this room sat in a void of its own, like how she couldn't sense anything inside the Police Box she couldn't sense anything outside of it. This scared her because in all her years she'd never not been able to sense anything, it was like having a sense blinded, it was distressing to her, but she kept herself in check.

Raven took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. She turned her attention back to the console and looked at the controls. It was covered in flashing lights almost like a carnival ride. One panel had dials which read. Destination: Azarath, Humanian Era, July 19th, 2003, which was to days date.

Experimentally Raven touched what she thought was a harmless control, but the machine made a loud noise which spooked her and she very quickly flipped it back, she didn't want to risk hitting a switch that did something dangerous. She decided to quickly flip a switch and flip it back just to see if it did something. Picking one she did just that. Something happened, a TV set hanging from the ceiling on an extendable stand came to life but died as soon as she flipped the switch back again. Understanding what that switch did Raven flipped it back again and the TV came to life. It was a really old TV. Raven raised an eyebrow over how this thing could be such an advanced machine yet its made out of old parts.

The screen showed the space outside the box. Someone was approaching the Police Box. Two people in fact. One was a Monk of Azarath, she knew him, she didn't like him and she never cared to learn his name. The other was a shorter man with long wavy hair, a tweed jacket with a red waistcoat. He was wearing a white hat and carried an umbrella with a curved handle.

"I can only offer you my condolences, Doctor." Said the Monk. "I am assured Azar died painlessly."

"Yes, I feared as much" the Doctor guy looked deep in thought. "I felt him go. The TARDIS telepathic circuits you see, picked it up."

"Though next time maybe send a telepathic message ahead informing us of your new..." the Monk looked the man up and down "attire."

The man laughed, or tried to over his sombre mood "I do apologise for the panic my arrival caused. I had meant to drop in, pay my respects and pop back out again with no fuss" the Doctor said, Raven noticed he had a Scottish twang to his voice and he rolled his R's a lot "I hadn't seen Azar since, oh... three regeneration's back."

"You are most welcome to stay longer." the Monk said "There is no reason to rush off is there? You are in emotional turmoil I can tell, some meditation will help with that."

"Thanks, but no thanks. I've had over 900 years of practice with my 'negative emotions'. a strong cup of tea and a good book will set me right." the Doctor said. "Besides, I outstayed my welcome the first time I was here. When I still had white hair" the Doctor said. Raven didn't quite understand that. Her knowledge of Time Lords was limited so she didn't know what it meant. "And Susan still travelled with me. I learnt much from my stay here, but..." he paused "that was such a long time ago, to me at least. But still, this remains one of the perfect places in this wide multiverse to recharge my batteries."

"I had assumed you thought this place boring." the Monk said "At least the last face I saw you with did."

"The mind changes with the body" the Doctor interjected "There are few places in the world a traveller can truly rest and contemplate the deeper meanings of life. The Eye of Orion, the Lake District, the Temple of Azarath just to name a few. But I'm afraid I have prior appointments elsewhere that I must make."

"Very well. Goodbye, Doctor."

"Goodbye." The Doctor raised his hat to the Monk in farewell and made his way towards the Police Box before turning around and saying into the air "Goodbye, Azar. You can trust me." and the Doctor strolled towards the Police Box. "Strange, I was sure I didn't leave the door open."

Quickly Raven flipped the switch to turn the TV off and she bounded for a door at the back of the room, it opened out into more Gothic architecture, a long corridor lit by torches, actual flaming torches, like in a castle. She didn't bother to question what they were doing in an advanced space-time ship. She stopped and peered through the door as the small man entered the control room. He stopped, standing in front of the console in silence, mourning his loss. Did this man actually know Azar? She could swear she had never seen this man before in her life. He might be an old friend, maybe older than she is.

Raven suspected Azar's death was not peaceful nor was it natural. Either way, she knew it was not safe for her on Azarath anymore. Anyway, the demon, her father can't possibly catch her if she's in another dimension within the walls of this machine lost in the mists of space and time, could he?

It was too late to change her mind as the Doctors hands flew over the console. There was a thud that echoed throughout the machine as its engines roared to life. They made a really loud pulsating racket as she felt the machine disconnect from the real world and entered another realm. She reached out to it with her mind. It was... beautiful. It was Time. It ran backwards and forwards, sideways, if flowed like a river, spinning, eddying. She'd never felt something so fantastic, it was ethereal and yet tangible.

From her hiding place, she saw the man sit down in an armchair and pulled up a book. He took a sip from a cup of tea that should be cold but as Raven looked at it the cup was clearly steaming hot. The book he was reading was titled "Great Expectations. By Charles Dickens."

* * *

 **To be continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** Turns out the 8th Doctor was a good pick by my old girlfriend. Eight is a Doctor I think Raven will really connect with. The 8th Doctors child-like and innocent nature I feel would balance out Ravens much more harsh and darker persona. Also, in the books and Big Finish audios 8 could have a very explosive dark side to him, similar to how Raven has her own explosive dark side. This should prove for some interesting interactions. Twelve might have worked, but I get the vibe the dynamic would've been a lot, lot different and probably counterproductive to Ravens development. Plus, I just thought Raven would love the Victorian Gothic style TARDIS to get lost in. I mean, come on, who wouldn't? It is a gorgeous console room.

One of my rules with writing these kinds of crossover fanfictions is that the crossing character should never become companions of the Doctor. Unfortunately, for this one I seem to have completely ignored that rule because I find Raven working too well as a companion, and she's a rather unconventional one and fun in her own way.

Its also been a while since I've properly seen the show so it is possible some details might not fit, but as far as I remember there was no episode detail how Raven escaped Azarath and made it to Earth, if there was I apologise and hope any die-hard fans will just appreciate this as a fiction outside of normal continuity.

With Raven's attitude in the show (which I watched clips of to remind me how she came across.) It made sense that though the Azarathians were peaceful and pacifists they were probably judgemental on some level and scared of Raven and her power. I took inspiration from a recent Star Wars comic I read where it showed Anakin's childhood at the temple was a stressful and unhappy one, and I thought Raven probably went through similar treatment.

Cheers

-TimeLordParadox


	3. Chapter 2, the TARDIS

**EDIT [26/03/2019]** It was pointed out that a small typo in the story changed the whole use of incense candles completely!. lol

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

 **The TARDIS**

For the next few days Raven hid in this machine that she had learnt was called the TARDIS. 'Time And Relative Dimension In Space'. Or sometimes 'Dimension(s) In Space' as the manual she found was a bit unclear on which one to use because it seemed to keep flipping from one definition to the other.

The Doctor never suspected she was even in here with him. The place was so large that when she first arrived she'd tried to get lost in its interior, yet no matter how far she walked she always ended up back at the control room. There was a twisted logic to the way the place was structured and she eventually figured it out so she could find a place as far away from the control room as possible. The ship was so large surely the Doctor would never find her.

It was as she experimentally opened a door that she found a room decorated almost to her personal taste. Which was weird. It was dark, Gothic and depressing. The place had a bed, a bunch of books, incense candles, herbal teas. It's like someone had rummaged around in her mind and made this place for her. She didn't go in, she was sceptical, it felt like a trap. She turned a few more corridors and turned to another door. It was that room again?! Exactly the same one, down to the titles of the books. But she had left that room 2 turns back. She shut the door walked a bit further and opened another, but it was the same room again! What was going on?!

Resigned to her fate she walked into the room and made herself comfortable. It was in here that she found something called the Type 40 Time Travel Capsule manual propping up a coat stand she was using to hang her cloak up.

As she read it she found the book itself was in a strange, alien language that she couldn't read. But as she tried to read it the words seemed to reassemble themselves into English, a language she understood. As she read she found that some pages had the words 'Time Capsule', 'Time Travel Capsule' and 'T.T. Capsule ' scribbled out and the word TARDIS written over the top in the most illegible handwriting she'd ever seen.

As she read on she realised that the TARDIS was a sentient machine, it had a consciousness and it was supposed to tune into the mind of the people inside it and maybe provide for them. Which meant the TARDIS had produced this room for her. It dug around in her head, found out her secret tastes and put them on display. She hated that. It made her feel like her dark and private secrets weren't so private now.

The TARDIS manual, or what she could understand of it, was written in a strange grammar she couldn't wrap her head around. The book must be translated into English directly. For example, "Real-world interface deactivate first but not before aligning the zyton crystals to maximum configuration of the vortex frequency after successful materialisation engage real-world interface first." Raven spent longer than she liked trying to decipher the logic of that one statement before realising it was nonsense, and a paradox. In order to deactivate this real-world interface you had to follow a sequence that activated it first? What was the point of it all?

After digesting what she could from the TARDIS manual without getting a headache, she decided to find a place to drink and eat. Again the TARDIS provided, leading her to a Victorian style kitchen where she opened cupboards and found... a piping hot meal ready to eat?! This place was insane. But she took the plate thankful for anything but the tasteless stuff back at the temple. The food was sweet and full of tastes she'd never dreamt of before. Things like this were a luxury on Azarath.

She went back to the cupboards and opened another. A plate of steaming battered fish with sliced potato boiled in oil and peas on the side sat there ready to eat. A label under it read "Fish 'n Chips" there was a label under the plate she had picked up earlier, it read "Full English Breakfast." In the next cupboard something called "Jacket Potato" next to that "Spaghetti", next to that "Seabass", steak, Christmas dinner, thanksgiving dinner, Coco-pops. It's like every meal you could think of was in this room.

Raven just rolled her eyes at it, she wasn't impressed at all. To her it just showed a lot of wasted focus that could be better spent elsewhere. But then again her own books had said the Time Lords had turned science into an art, so maybe she was looking at everything through the wrong frame of reference. Too bad she wasn't an artist. To bad for them, not for her.

She left the kitchen and tried to make her way back to her room. But as she opened the door she found herself in a vast room filled with clothes! She stepped in and again nearly tripped over the hem of her Azarthian robes.

She decided she'd had enough of them and she took her cloak off and hung it up before ripping off the top layer of her robes and tossing them aside leaving just one layer and no skirt to trip up. She was going to pick up her cloak and walk out when she noticed that there weren't just male clothes in here, but female clothes too, and some might even fit her.

She began going through all the coat hangers looking for something to replace her robes. She moved a brown, frock coat and something landed on her feet and rolled out. It was a scarf, very long and of many colours. Raven bent down to pick it up, and the colours triggered something in her mind. A memory of a man with a funny shaped face, long nose and long curly hair staring down at her smiling, sticking his tongue out and tickling her nose, then played peekaboo with her using a similar-looking scarf. She didn't know who this person was, but she must've been very young when it happened. It was a distant memory.

She picked up the scarf and put it back before looking through more of the clothes but it was difficult finding something that was just 'her'.

On the wrack she suddenly she came across some Azarath robes, they were exactly her size, and wait... these were her old robes! How did they get here?! She pulled them off the wrack, balled them up and tossed them aside. That's when she found it. It was the perfect replacement that'd give her the comfort she wanted. It was a black leotard, full-length arms with black jewel decorations on the back of the hands. Next to it hung up on the rack was a belt of the same black jewels as were on the leotard and weirdly they both matched the broach that was on her cloak. These things must be Azarathian in nature. She'd never seen them at the temple before but they were almost the opposite of what she'd be expected to wear, and she liked them.

Taking them off the hangers she quickly stripped, changed into them and looked in a full-length dress mirror. The clothes were definitely 'her' she decided. It did reveal her hourglass figure more but she didn't choose these clothes to be modest, she needed clothes that were practical to her meditations and a skin-tight leotard meant she could feel connected with the world around her without actually being naked.

Next to the mirror she found some blue, flexible boots she used as a replacement for her own footwear and some wrist bands which she put on to break up the outline between her arms and hands. She called her cloak to her with her powers and slipped it on. She now looked perfect.

She got lost trying to find her way back to her room and eventually stumbled upon the control room again. Clearly the Doctor was out. This was the perfect time for her to check out the library in here. She looked through all the books, the treasure trove of books. Books to her hearts content.

She pulled volumes off the shelf, both factual, fictional, scientific, spiritual. Mary Shelly's Frankenstein, A Brief History of Time, basic science, telepathy made easy. A pack of books by some guy called Oolon Colluphid titled 'Where God went Wrong', 'Some more of Gods Greatest Mistakes', 'Who is this God person anyway?' & 'Well, that about wraps it up for God'. She thought those books might be interesting reading, considering what she is.

Raven collected as many books as she could carry with her psychokinetic powers. She took the books from random places on the shelf so the Doctor didn't realise he had a stowaway on board, and she took them back to her room where she read and meditated, read and meditated, read, eat, drank and meditated.

Not once did she hanker for any kind of company. She'd felt utterly alone her entire life so she was used to her own company. There were a couple of times she considered trying to talk to the Doctor and reveal her presence, but no. If there was one thing she knew about people it's that they were judgemental, stupid and often followed groups that encouraged people to fear what they didn't understand, and would always find ways to hate her. She couldn't trust the Doctor and as far as she was concerned she had no reason to ever leave the TARDIS, so she lived deep in the bowels of the Time Machine.

Best if she stayed hidden, she decided, from everyone, from the universe, forever.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** In the first chapter I wrote Ravens robes as being impractical and uncomfortable to reflecting her growing discomfort living in Azarath, and I thought it was a cool idea that now she was free and defining herself that she should have a similar scene where she picks out clothes that would define her like the Doctor usually does after also means the clothes she wears in the TV show she got from the TARDIS.

If you haven't guessed from the flashback, this isn't the first time Raven has met the Doctor, but he was different and she was too young to remember.

The four books from Oolon Colluphid are fictional books from the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, a well loved sci-fi comedy show from the 70's and I thought was fun to include them considering Raven is technically the anti-Christ in a lot of ways, and I did not mean to give offence to anyone's religion.


	4. Chapter 3, the Doctor

**Chapter 3**

 **The Doctor**

The floor trembled as the TARDIS landed somewhere new. It had been a week since she stowed on board the TARDIS and from her shelter she had begun observing this strange Time Lord who unknowingly shared the ship with her. He seemed to spend most of his time outside the TARDIS instead of inside it. She could always tell if he was out because his hat, coat and umbrella would be missing from the console room.

Curiosity always got the better of her and she investigated where the controls said they were. Avulia IV, Ormellia, Telos, Skaro, Coruscant. She didn't set foot outside the TARDIS but she did activate the scanner so she could see the world outside. Each world was one more different than the last and all destined to be destroyed by her father.

She wondered exactly what this Doctor did, because he's been everywhere except Gallifrey, the Time Lords home planet. To Raven that didn't make sense. Surely he worked for the Time Lords unless they communicated to him through some other means. One time she saw him run into the TARDIS as shots were being fired at him, so his job is probably very dangerous.

As she rounded the console she saw something lying across the controls. Something called a 900 year diary. The Doctors diary perhaps? Being the suspicious sort that Raven is, she picked it up and began flipping through the pages. It was written in a strange language that as she read began to form into words she could understand. Scratch that, she still couldn't understand it because the handwriting was just awful!

She flipped through more pages and she must've gone through 300 before she realised something strange. This small book should only hold 200 pages max. She'd reached 300 and wasn't even halfway through it. Raven pressed her fingers against the edge of the remaining pages and flipped through them like a flipbook. Page after page after page passed through her fingers and she was standing there for nearly a minute before she reached the end on page 50,000. The book must be like the TARDIS, the dimensions of it were all over the place.

She closed the book and opened it again on the first page. There was a drawing of an old man on it with quite a stern-looking face and long white hair, an almost perfect depiction of a grandfather kind of figure.

She flipped through pages coming across all kinds of weird drawings of things called Daleks, Sensorites, Monoids, War Machines, Cybermen, notes and information were scrawled along the sides of the artistic drawings but the handwriting was a contrast to the quality of the sketches. Then there was another portrait. This was of a scruffier looking man with a mop-top hair cut, a craggy face and he looked like a cheeky uncle. Again followed by more drawings and notes, then another portrait, this time of a man with curly white hair and a hooked nose who looked very strange in a ruffled shirt and smoking jacket. There was a note under this portrait but it can't be translating well because it simply read "Me, model 3" She looked back at the past 2 and they said "Me, original" and "Me, model 2."

Skipping ahead she found "Me, model 4" a man with big, wide eyes, a mop of curly hair, a grin like a lunatic and wrapped around his neck was a long scarf.

This conjured up a memory in her mind. She must've only been two or three years old at the time as this man, this very man looked down at her, trying to play games and giving her some kind of jelly candy. "Ah now," said the man with a deep, yet with a playful voice, "You're not going to destroy the universe are you, ay little Rae-Rae?"

"Don't talk to it, don't feed it! Stop playing with it!" said a man behind him who was wearing Azarathian robes. She wasn't sure but she thought she recognised this robed man from somewhere.

"'it' happens to be a living creature, and what you're suggesting is utterly barbaric!" the scarf man said.

"It's the only way we can save the universe, if we destroy her now!" the robed man said.

"Is that your philosophy?" scarf man said "If its born and I don't like it, kill it!"

"Surely the Time Lords want this baby more than we do, it also threatens their power as it does every creature in existence." robed man said.

"Really? Are you a little threat?" scarf man said adopting a baby voice as he talked to her.

"Stop talking to it!"

"Well Juris, if you really want to kill her, go right ahead" and he held baby Raven out to the robed man called Juris.

"Not like this, it must be done by magic!" Juris insisted.

"No!" scarf man said "If you want to kill this child look into her eyes as you do it, put your hands around her neck and do it yourself, none of this 'magic' nonsense as you call it that desensitises you to the deed!"

"What can we do with her? Lock her in limbo? Can't you lock her in a Time Loop?" Juris suggested.

"What?" scarf man was just as outraged "and let her go insane without anyone to talk to till the end of time? Listen!" the scarf man shouted the last word as if to interrupt himself "have you considered that by trying that, you might create the very monster you want to avoid? If this Trigon demon could break her out of limbo or the Time Loop you'll have someone who deeply resents you and will want revenge. Ever read Harry Potter? Bellatrix LeStrange anyone? No? Might be too early."

"Then what can we do?" Juris asked.

"Ah, here's a thought" the scarf man said sarcastically as if was obvious. "Why not try nurture? No one is born inherently evil, they are taught it. I'm sure giving different circumstances Davros could've become a great heart surgeon, or Hitler famous for his paintings, maybe Ringo could've been a really good drummer."

"You are suggesting we keep her?!" Juris said aghast.

"Yes" scarf man said brightly.

"But can't you take her?" Juris asked.

"Not enough room in the TARDIS I'm afraid." scarf man said. TARDIS? Did he say TARDIS? "I already have a savage and a dog to feed, my schedule is rather fully booked for the next two centuries. But any time after that."

"Doctor, this creature will doom us all!" Doctor? This man was the Doctor? Juris continued, "If you won't help us, I'll take action myself and cast her into limbo."

"I really wouldn't advise that, Juris" the Doctor said his tone serious and level "I may not be familiar with your ways but I doubt one of the most powerful and evil creatures in the universe would let such a valuable piece of his game be so vulnerable, especially at this early age."

Juris, Raven remembered the person, he had tried to cast her into limbo while she was an infant, and he was destroyed for attempting it. Clearly he didn't take this Doctors warning seriously.

Raven was back in the real world again holding the 900 year diary in her hands still on the page of the man with curly hair and large teeth. She skipped ahead to see "Me, model 5" a young man with fair hair in some kind of Cricket garb, "Me, model 6" a round-faced man with a stern look and curly blond hair wearing something that hurt her eyes to look at and probably would look worse if the sketch was in colour; and "Me, model 7" a younger version of her Doctor. The hair was darker, and the face was less craggy.

'Doctor' must be a title passed down from person to person, Raven reasoned. But what did this Doctor actually do for a living? That's what she didn't understand. Going by this diary she guessed he was some kind of researcher, cataloguing what he found. She flipped forward until she saw blank pages and decided to flip back. That's when she found another drawing of another man. It was between Doctors 6 and 7, it was of a slimy-looking character, pale, slicked-back dark hair and he wore a robe and collar that gave him an air of evil. Under it was scrawled "The Valeyard" under that was written "Between 12 and Final? The Last? A Projection? A Watcher? An incarnation? Destiny?" and as if in madness there was also written "No regenerations left" and "Avoid at all costs!"

Raven didn't know who this "Valeyard" was, but clearly these Doctors hated him and wanted to avoid him as much as she wanted to avoid Trigon. She placed the book back down again and moved to the chair where the Doctor usually sat under his reading lamp. On a small table there was a glass bowl and in that bowl were jelly babies. Wait, jelly babies? The sweets that scarf man Doctor had given her as an infant. Experimentally she picked one up, an orange one and bit into it, the taste was very familiar. Next to the bowl was a book, one the Doctor was currently reading. The Time Machine by H.G. Wells.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** If it wasn't clear, that Easter Egg should be a clue that the next time Raven sees the Doctor, he's going to be quite different.

I'm realising the story is more exploring how Raven is finding out about the TARDIS and the Doctors world so I hope to change gears in the next chapter.

I originally wrote the first 3 chapters back to back, but decided it was better if I split them up into separate chapters because it just seemed to go on for too long and each chapter dealt with a different part of the story. Raven's escape, her exploring the TARDIS, and wondering about the Doctor.


	5. Chapter 4, the Enemy within?

**Chapter 4**

 **The Enemy within?**

Raven was suddenly awoken by a shuddering as the TARDIS landed more violently than usual. Something was wrong, she could feel it. The Doctor was panicking and he rushed from the TARDIS. But there was also something else, something inside the TARDIS. It slithered around like a blind snake. Pain, the Doctor was in pain and the snake followed him outside.

Raven felt cold. Had her enemies tracked her down?

She rushed to the console room nearly knocking over a candelabra of candles as she went. Near the console room she found a small box shattered and some slimy goo sticking to the inside of it. A slime trail as if left by a slug snaked into the console, back out again and out the door.

Raven activated the scanner controls and saw what was outside. Nothing. It was Earth, a dark alley and by the sound of it an ambulance had just left. There was no sign of the Doctor but she could sense he was still alive and a lot calmer so maybe he was okay. She considered going out to find the Doctor and help him, but she was sure he was going to be fine. But what about the force she felt? The evil? It was as if it had just faded out, she couldn't sense it. Maybe it was her imagination? She shrugged and she turned to go back to her room.

* * *

Like all the Doctors adventures events unfolded while she remained safely in the TARDIS reading, meditating, eating or sleeping. When she wanted to return to the console room however for two days she could never find it. The TARDIS kept her going around in circles and back to her room. What was this stupid machine playing at? It must be malfunctioning!

Or was it protecting her from something? She felt that evil force return a number of times before the Doctor did. There was the sound of a very large and dull bell ringing somewhere deep within the TARDIS. It didn't sound like an alarm but the way it rang felt like it should spell doom.

The bell stopped when the TARDIS took off. It landed again then shortly took off again. The Doctor was now at the helm of the TARDIS again but something felt different about him.

She did eventually find her way back to the console room later that day and she stepped back when she saw a man at the console. But this wasn't the Doctor. This man was taller, had shoulder length, unkempt hair and wore a long dark, velvet frock coat over a double breasted waistcoat, white shirt and a silk cravat with a pin in it.

Raven watched, maybe he was an intruder? Or a spy? or something. Cautiously she walked towards him and she used her powers to throw a cloak of perception over her so though this man would see her, but he wouldn't acknowledge her.

She barely made it two steps before the man, without turning to look at her said "Ah, decided to come out from hiding have you?!" His voice was more gentlemanly than the Doctors, he had an English accent that lacked the Scottish tones of the Doctor and he didn't roll his R's. He walked around the console adjusting dials and gauges, his face was thinner, his body skinnier, and his face paler. "We Time Lords are telepathic, we don't just rely on our eyes to see." So this man was a Time Lord?

"Who are you?" Raven asked dropping her shield.

"Oh, we've met before." the man said "I first met you when you were barely, oh... so big." he said holding out his hands as if cradling a baby. Raven took a step back, she didn't remember this man from her childhood.

"Though keep in mind" he said "I had a completely different face back then, all teeth and curls." This caught her off guard. "Did you keep the name Raven?" he asked "I thought it was a rather pretty name, it suited your hair, and I see now you've cut it to match." he said referring to her hair style that kind of resembled the wings of a Raven.

Raven's eyes started to glow and she raised her hands ready to cast a spell. "What have you done to the Doctor?" she asked.

"What?" the man said confused "Oh, I'm sorry, of course, you knew me as I was before. Short, umbrella, silly hat." he wasn't making any sense at all. "Allow me to introduce myself, or re-introduce myself, rather." He said holding out his hand to her from around the console. "Hello, I'm the Doctor."

Raven took another step back "No you're not." She glimpsed the 900 year diary and saw it was open on a fresh page, there was a pencil near it and this new man was half sketched onto the page with the words "Me, model eight" written under it. Raven's eyes glowed more intensely, "Don't take me for a fool. I've seen the Doctor, you look nothing like him."

"Neither did the previous model." the man said mysteriously. "Oh come now, you're a smart girl aren't you? Surely you've read up on the Time Lords. Who in the higher dimensions hasn't? There must've been some mention of our ability to regenerate and rebuild our bodies on the brink of death."

Raven was silent, she lowered her hands but kept her guard up. She had heard of 'regeneration' but she assumed it was just the body rebuilding itself in the same form. It never occurred to her 'regeneration' might result in a drastic change. She didn't automatically believe this man however. He could still be lying.

"It was a really messy business" the man explained, "involving an old enemy of mine, and you missed all of it as always. But the long and short of it is that I was shot, and after a botched surgery by surgeons not familiar with my Gallifreyan biology my last body died. Then the miracle of the Time Lords happened. My body exploded with new life. The process unfortunately causes the genetic code and brain patterns to be corrupted resulting in my change in appearance, and personality. But I am still the Doctor."

Raven said nothing to this whole explanation. There was nothing to contradict it but there was also nothing to support it either.

"I guess its academic now though" the man said "since you'll slink away back into the bowels of the TARDIS, like some ghost haunting the ship."

"How long have you known I was in here?" Raven asked, she was sure the Doctor didn't know.

"Oh, since the start" the man -she still refused to call him the Doctor- said "I knew where you were but I knew you wanted to be left alone, so I left you alone" he said as he continued to adjust switches and dials "and with what's weighing you down I can imagine why you'd want to run away."

"Huh?" Raven said raising an eye brow.

"'Ah, now, you're not going to destroy the universe, are you little Rae-Rae?'" the man said. A cold chill went down her spine. The scarfed Doctor had said that. This man knew far too much than just he, himself should know. Either he knew those people very well... Or he 'was' those people. Reaching out with her mind and sensing this mans psychic signature again confirmed it.

"You... are the Doctor?" Raven asked, unsure if she should trust her own senses. This was the most bizarre twist on a regenerative ability she'd ever heard.

"Same man, new body, different groove as they say." the Doctor said with a kind of youthful energy Raven found both interesting and irritating.

She looked at the Doctor up and down, he seemed to be telling her the truth. He could still be lying, and even if he was this man was still no threat to her. "I'm glad..." Raven paused, she was not used to socialising "I'm glad you're okay." she paused again before saying "Can I go now?"

"Shame, I thought you were coming out of your shell at last." The Doctor said. "Perhaps we could share a pot of tea, exchange books, I notice my library is looking a bit bare recently and I want to repopulate it again with books." Raven could tell the Doctors intentions were strictly platonic. He was harmless to her, its not as if he could force her to do anything if he tried after all, she could use her powers to turn his intestines into balloon animals if she so wished.

"I don't 'do' friends, Doctor." Raven said simply. The Doctor smiled and nearly laughed. "What?!" Raven asked, irritation creeping into her voice.

"Oh, nothing. Just nostalgia from a childhood long gone." His eyes became distant but only for a second. "Okay, the room that's third on the left, second right, fifth left, fourth left, past the kitchens and sixth door on the left will remain yours while you're on board."

"Thanks." Raven said with sarcastic bile as if the Doctor would not have had any choice in this. She would stay regardless of if he tried to throw her out.

"If you ever want to step outside..." the Doctor began.

"No thanks," Raven cut across him.

"Well, I just thought that..." but Raven cut across him again.

"You thought wrong. You know precisely why I'm here, Doctor. If you really ARE the scarf-wearing Doctor."

"Some four regenerations removed." The Doctor said.

"If you really ARE the Doctor, then you know what I am, you know my destiny, and you know I am a danger to everyone. I'm not adventurous, I'm not kind, and I don't help people, period! I am an evil monster, and I am NOT going back to Azarath. Got it, Time Lord?! I didn't run away because I wanted attention. I ran away because I just want a place to be left alone to die in peace!" With that, Raven turned on her heel and walked out, her cloak billowing behind her. She meant every word.

* * *

For the next few weeks Raven went about her business while the Doctor went on his adventures. She eventually bumped into the Doctor in the kitchen where he had excitedly told her about the adventures he's been having. It turns out the Doctor wasn't just a researcher, he was an adventurer. He went from planet to planet, from time zone to time zone helping people out, fighting evil. This didn't impress Raven, the kind of evil she knew couldn't be fought.

She left him in the kitchen while he was still talking about Daleks, or something as he cooked.

Later that day there was a knock on her bedroom door. Raven tried to ignore it but it came again, and again, and it kept coming until she threw open the door, but no one was there. On the floor was a tray with a dish covering a plate, along with a cup of herbal tea. She lifted the dish and there were steamed vegetables and steak. Next to this dish was a folded note which read "Don't fight your destiny on an empty stomach"

 _I can't fight my destiny_ Raven thought and picked up the paper. The folded piece of paper unfolded down and the words "Yes you can, even yours"

 _Cute_ , Raven thought and the paper unfolded in her hands again and said "I'm serious" the paper unfolded again.

 _How much of this shit is there_? Raven thought. The next message read "And don't swear!" _What the hell?!_ "Bon apatite."

* * *

Raven found the Doctors attempt to interact with her increasingly irritating, he was leaving things for her, checking up on her, shouting into the control room before he walked out the doors "I'm going out now, no parties and no boys!" he'd joke. God, they were irritating.

What was the term for them? Dad jokes?

The attention he was giving her. What was it about? It was like the Doctor was trying to be a protector or a guardian for her while she stayed on the TARDIS.

Well, she didn't need a guardian, she didn't need anyone, she just wanted to be left alone, forever.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** The events of the TV movie basically happened during this chapter here.

The reason why Raven couldn't make it to the console room for two days is because the TARDIS sealed her off in order to keep her from the Master. You could imagine what plans the Master might've had for her if he ever found out the powerful daughter of a destructive demon was on board the TARDIS. He'd try to manipulate her the same way he did Chang Lee.


	6. Chapter 5, Anger Management Issues

**Chapter 5**

 **Anger Management Issues**

"Azarath metrion zinthos, Azarath metrion zinthos, Azarath metrion zinthos" Raven said softly as she meditated. It was much easier to meditate in the TARDIS because there were less distractions. There was usually only one other person on board and anything beyond the TARDIS exterior shell was blind to her. In here she could be at peace, in here she could let her mind be free.

As she meditated she was so deep in her trance that she didn't notice that instead of her chimes she was humming a tune, a tune she didn't even know. She only noticed she was doing this when the humming became words she spoke aloud in place of her chimes "Zagreus sits inside your head, Zagreus lives among the dead, Zagreus sees you in your bed, and eats you when you're sleeping. Zagreus at the end of Days, Zagreus lies all other ways, Zagreus comes when..."

Ravens eyes opened. She had no idea where that rhyme had come from. It wasn't the Doctor, he wasn't even in the TARDIS. She sighed deeply. Maybe the TARDIS was messing with her again. She had really begun to hate this machine now.

Ravens rejections of the Doctors kindness seemed to have had an affect on the way the TARDIS responded to her. By refusing to eat the meals the Doctor cooked for her the TARDIS seemed to stop providing food from those freaky cupboards in the kitchen. When she talked bad about the Doctor the TARDIS sent her around in circles and eventually to the bathroom where taps were running in the sink. She got the gist, "Clean up your act." _Great,_ she thought, _I'm getting bossed around by a big box of bolts now._

But suddenly the machines behaviour seemed to alter and it began to become favourable to her again. She found out why when she went to the console room to change more books and she overheard the Doctor talking to himself.

"Yes, I know she's taking up space. You never did like any of my travelling companions." Was he talking to the console? The console bleeped. "Yeah, that's right sulk. I know she's not exactly tidy, nor respectful. She's no Susan, Vicki, Polly or Victoria. She's a teenager going through a stressful period in her life, even more so because of her mix biology." The machine seemed to groan from the sky and make more organic like noises somewhere. "Don't give me that, I know what you've been doing." the Doctor said sternly to the console and it bleeped back at him. "I know she doesn't like me, I don't think she likes anyone, honestly." _He's got that right_ , Raven thought. "But she is our guest and she feels safe in here. She's not getting in the way nor is she threatening us. Well sure, she's as blunt as a PVC pipe and as grumpy as a Sontaran, but I've been treated worse and survived. I don't need defending from her. She's harmless, she just wants to be left alone for now."

Raven leaned up against the nearby wall and contemplated. The Doctor was trying to be helpful towards her, despite her harsh words telling him to go away and he still acted like a gentleman and a perfect host. How was he able to stay so calm and collected in the face of her aggression? If people talked to her the way she spoke to the Doctor, she'd get enraged and would've thrown him off the TARDIS, if their roles were reversed. Yet the Doctor didn't bat an eye. He didn't see a demon who was going to destroy the world, he saw a scared teenage girl who's only way of protecting herself was to lash out and push everyone away. Okay, she admitted it, she has a bad attitude but that's only because she's a monster and everyone needs to be protected from her. She was used to everyone reacting badly to her so it was alien for anyone to be nice to her. She knew she was bad, she knew she was nasty; she didn't want to be, but she couldn't become anything else.

Later that night the Doctor had prepared dinner in the kitchen, showing off his skills flipping pan cakes. He was in his shirt sleeves and had a silly, floppy chefs hat on. It looked like he was making her pan cakes this time. Raven peered through the door trying to drum up courage. She wouldn't admit it to herself but she was anxious about going in there with the Doctor. Every fibre of her being told her to just go back to the safety of her room and her books. In the end she had to force herself.

She opened the door catching the Doctor by surprise and she quickly strolled to the table and sat down trying to think of anything other than the anxiety in her stomach.

"Hungry?" the Doctor asked. Raven didn't respond, she just sat ridged in her chair, this was not easy for her. "Yes" she said simply.

"Tonight we're having pancakes and waffles." the Doctor said, flipping another pan cake.

"Aren't they the same thing?" Raven said, but the Doctor disagreed.

"Technically no, pancakes are cooked in a different way. Waffles have a little more fat to give them their crispy texture. It's all down to how..." and the Doctor rattled off some explanation of the difference in the way the two are cooked, even using scientific names to describe it. Raven hadn't a hope in hell in understanding any of it, nor did she care.

When the dishes were served, one pancake, one waffle each -she could tell they probably weren't supposed to be served together- one with syrup and one with a slice of butter. The pair sat at the dinner table eating. The Doctor had put a napkin into the neck of his shirt. Raven didn't bother with her napkin and left it by her plate. He was over doing a simple meal.

Raven took one bite from the waffles and her taste-buds lit up. The taste, the texture, the temperature. There was something about waffles she liked. The pan-cake tasted flat and dull by comparison.

The two sat in total silence as they ate. It was the most awkward meal she'd ever had. The Doctor didn't even try to engage her in conversation and she guessed it was because she usually didn't want to engage in a conversation at all.

But then what would they talk about? What did they have in common? The Doctor knew a lot more about her than she did him. All she knew of him was that he was a Time Lord from Gallifrey who had 'regenerated' 7 out of the 12 times maximum, who travelled the universe in a trans-dimensional Time Ship that was stuck in the shape of a Police Box because it was a hunk of junk. That much she was aware of, but his likes, his dislikes, his character, that was a mystery to her.

"I ran away from my people too." the Doctor said as if reading her mind.

"Ran away?" Raven asked not sure where to take this statement.

"I stole the TARDIS and ran away from my people, my old life. I've been running ever since." the Doctor said.

"Why?" Raven asked.

"Because the universe is such a wide, complicated and interesting place." he said "There are millions of planets to explore, aeons of time and countless civilisations to meet."

"Why explore? Why go outside?" Raven asked like a moody teenager.

"Because it's fun" the Doctor said simply "because travel broadens the mind, and there is always evil that needs fighting."

"Is THAT what I am?" Raven asked a hint of anger creeping into her voice "Another tool to fight evil with?"

"Well, of course not, Raven" the Doctor said opening his hands palm up to show he had nothing to hide "You're just my guest. You can leave whenever you choose to."

"Oh yeah?" Raven stood up and looked like she was getting angry. She thought she had pegged the conspiracy of the Doctor, why he didn't mind her being here with him. He wanted to use her for his own quests, his own needs. Like she was a puppet of some sort and he was figuring out how to yank at her strings. It's the only explanation which made sense to her. "You mean it doesn't bother you that keeping me on board makes you a target for Trigon?!"

"I've been on the Black Guardians hit list for years. Sutekh the Destroyer, the Terrible Zodin, Gozer the Gozarian. Being on the hit list of one more powerful God or demi-God doesn't bother me." the Doctor was just so calm and collected it irritated her, almost as if it de-legitimised her and her fears of Trigon. Did the Doctor look at her like she was an immature child who worries too much?

"How can you be so cool with it?" Raven said with a suspicious tone "Aren't you angry I'm putting you in danger? Your ship in danger?" She wanted the Doctor to get angry with her, it's what she expected from everyone and it was really scaring her how the Doctor didn't regard her with suspicion, fear or hate. She wasn't aware a dark aura had formed around her, dark tentacles of energy flowing out and around her. Still the Doctor didn't look threatened.

She picked up the plate with her unfinished meal on it and threw it against the wall, the same with the Doctors, it too still had a half eaten waffle on, and it smashed against the wall causing a big mess.

"Now that was uncalled for!" the Doctor said, great he was finally getting angry "Honestly, we have a dish washer for a reason." Another stupid flippant joke! and it just stoked her temper even more as her eyes began to burn with white energy. She used her powers to grab all the kitchen pots and pans, the waffle iron and the kettle and she twisted them out of shape. But the Doctor was still calm.

"Doesn't it bother you I'm destroying your stuff?!" Raven shouted.

"Well, it's an irritation but I think I have too much stuff anyway." Suddenly the Doctor was in the air surrounded by dark energy as Raven used her powers to lift him up.

"Why are you helping me? What do you have to gain from this?!" Raven shouted.

"Do you want to know why I'm doing it?" the Doctor asked "Well, come closer." and Raven came closer to him "Closer still, a little more" and when the Doctors lips were up to her ear he said "Because I want to be nice."

That didn't compute in Ravens mind, no one was nice unless they wanted something from you or to lull you into a false sense of security. No one she knew was 'nice' just because. Her mother and Azar were exceptions. Other people were manipulative, spiteful, hateful, judgemental, and yet here was the Doctor and through her mind she could tell the Doctor was sincere in his words. But rather than calming her it irritated her more.

Suddenly her blood ran cold when she became aware of what she was doing now. She saw the Doctor gasping for breath because Raven was using her powers to crush his oesophagus shut! She didn't mean to do that! She was just so angry! Her rage turned to horror and Raven dropped her powers. The Doctor collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath. Raven began trembling and before the Doctor could recover or say anything at all she ran from the kitchen and back to her room. She felt like she wanted to cry but she fought back the tears, tears were weakness and she would not show weakness. But she can't change the fact that she had nearly killed him. Maybe she was evil, maybe she is just like her father.

Raven entered her room, locked the door and worked on sorting these emotions out. She hated herself, and after what she'd done she was sure the Doctor hated her now. Why did it matter to her? She couldn't care less if the Doctor liked her, but some part of her deep down just didn't want the Doctor to hate her.

She had to control her emotions. Be calm. Meditate. _Be calm._ _Meditate_ _. Meditate. Meditate. Azarath metrion zinthos, Azarath metrion zinthos, Azarath metrion zinthos._

After a while the storm in her brain had subsided but she still felt ashamed of herself. She was now just going to stay in here, forever to contain herself, her anger and her powers so she could never hurt anyone again, ever.

Then she heard a knock on her door. It wasn't a banging like that of someone angry with her, but a simple tap, tap, tap on the door. Raven didn't answer and she heard the Doctor put something on the floor and walk away.

After a few seconds to make sure the Doctor was gone she opened the door. It was another plate of waffles and pancakes? Fresh, and warm! How did he make more after she crushed the pans? Why did he make more for her when she'd just tried to murder him?

She brought them in and took a bite and it tasted like perfection to her. She gulped the mouthful down. He'd still taken the time to do this for her. There were so many confusing thoughts in her head. Was this what forgiveness felt like? Was it even forgiveness? She didn't know. She couldn't remember the last time someone forgave her.

Still, she refused to cry.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** This represents a turning point in her personality where she is starting to open up to people. It would be difficult for her given the kind of extra backstory I've invented for her. She's only known emotional betrayal and backstabbing, and something would have to soften that shell between fleeing Azarath and meeting up with the Teen Titans, gain them as friends and forming their team. In this case the person who started to soften that shell is the Doctor and the Teen Titans furthered her development from there.

Zagreus is a bad guy from the Doctor Who Big Finish audio of the same name, and I'm thinking of making it have a part in this story, or I could leave it as an Easter Egg. More than likely I'll use it as it is a very traumatic event in the Doctors future Raven could potentially relate to.

I'm not sure if I'm remembering this right, but from what I remember of the show Raven liked Waffles and there was no explanation for it, and I think I've just explained where her love of them came from.


	7. Chapter 6, Acclimatising

**Chapter 6**

 **Acclimatising.**

Over the next few weeks Raven tried to be civil with the Doctor. It was difficult because the memory of what she had done was still fresh in her mind and she was still on edge waiting for any sign of betrayal, or disapproval from him. But the Doctor remained as civil as ever. Why did he trust her? She could squash him like a bug, she could do it in her anger and yet the Doctor not only trusted her, he didn't fear her. What does it take to get a rise out of this guy? There must be something, and partly she was curious what that rise would be.

There was something child-like about the Doctor, like he was a big kid minus the irritating parts like whining, moaning, bullying and being judgemental. If Raven had to compare the Doctor to someone it was Peter Pan, the boy who ran away so he never had to grow up. He was rarely serious especially when it came to himself and his remarks were always flippant, and what's more he was always showing off some trick or other whether it's how he cooks, constantly juggling the ingredients, sometimes literally, or explaining some scientific concept to her at a million miles an hour that even she couldn't understand it. She was tempted to place a time spell on him to slow him down so she could catch up.

Raven still refused to open herself up. What did she have to talk about? She didn't go on adventures, fight monsters, save planets. She'd only ever known Azarath and the inside of this machine, nothing else. So the conversations were pretty one sided.

After a long winded explanation where the Doctor finally asked her what she thought, Raven said "I think you talk way too much." and the Doctor replied "That's only because you're such a great conversationalist."

Raven did something she rarely did. She smiled, and her diaphragm convulsed but she fought it back. She'd almost laughed but it had stalled on the way out. She could tell the Doctor noticed. He must be feeling pretty smug after raising a smile and nearly a laugh from the 'ice queen' as she was sure some called her.

Now in the control room, and since Raven refused to leave the TARDIS, the Doctor was using the TARDIS console to show her the galaxy outside and some of its wonders.

He pulled a big lever on the console and the impossibly high ceiling adopted a projection of space outside. The stars, and wisps of colour from nebula. Quasars, worm holes, and a host of other scenes of galactic beauty. But none of them impressed Raven, she had seen it all before and to her what she was seeing was just a different arrangement of things she could look up in any book on space. Though Raven wasn't impressed, the Doctors enthusiasm was enduring and a little contagious. She found herself paying more attention than she otherwise would.

The Doctor would make a terrific teacher Raven decided, he just had a knack for grabbing your attention and making it hard to look away from him.

Raven couldn't understand what the Doctor was trying to do. Teach her? Communicate with her? Domesticate her? Make her a 'real girl'? She got angry at the last two conclusions but she doubted they were correct. The Doctor may be many things, weird, eccentric, irritating at times but he was always respectful, mostly.

"This is pointless" Raven said folding her arms giving the Doctor a look that was a mixture of boredom and scowling.

"In retrospect, everything is ultimately pointless" the Doctor said "Breathing in and out is pointless, sun sets are pointless, eating your favourite meal is pointless. The universe is both ordered and chaotic based entirely on the laws of nature and physics, it has no direction or will, and eventually it'll all run down. Time and Space will lose meaning as every atom, photon, neutrino, in the universe evaporates into nothing. Just clouds of energy that'll red-shift into utter meaninglessness. Everything is pointless, everything dies, me, you, the TARDIS, everything you love or hate, no matter how much and how fast you build it'll all fly a part at the end of the Universe."

There was weight to that comment as if the Doctor knew that concept of pointlessness much more than she did herself. Raven was speechless, not because she didn't want to speak, but because she didn't know what to say to that. The Doctor had described how she felt almost perfectly, though a lot more scientifically.

"Okay, what do you want to do?" the Doctor asked leaning against the console. "What is meaningful to you? What does the demon daughter Raven want to do?" He wasn't trying to be insulting, he was attempting to be playful. It didn't work on her though.

"I want to be left alone" Raven replied flatly.

"Then why are you here?" the Doctor asked, "Listening to me?"

Raven sighed irritatingly, she didn't know herself "I wish I knew."

"I'll tell you why." the Doctor said smiling.

"I'm sure you will" Raven rolled her eyes.

"Because the human spirit is not designed to be confined. You're trying to shut the universe out because you think it'll make you feel safe, or that the universe would be safer without you." Raven was getting irritated again and she didn't know why, "You're here because your brain wants company, though your mind insists that it doesn't. An interesting paradox. Your brain is curious. It doesn't understand the meaning of anything because it thinks it has no meaning to exist itself. In short, you're having an existential crisis, and its clashing somewhat with your own anti-social philosophy of total nihilism **.** " the Doctor finished.

"None sense" Raven groaned, the words resonated in her brain but she refused to recognise them, she knew what he was talking about, but she denied their truth. "I'm..." she refused to use the words 'happier' because it sounded 'mushy' "I am... content with being alone."

"You'll have to grow up some day" the Doctor said, Raven took that one badly.

"I AM grown up!" she insisted. "I just see the world for what it is!" Though the Doctor had his back to her she could tell he was laughing, laughing at her. But she kept her anger in check.

"What is the point of this conversation? This entire debate?" Raven asked.

"That's the nihilism speaking again" the Doctor joked.

"What are you trying to do to me, what do you want me to say?!" Raven exploded getting irritated, she composed herself and continued on in a mocking tone "Do you want me to say 'Oh, Doctor, you were right, I see now that my life now has meaning?!'" The Doctor just continued to work at the TARDIS console as Raven vented.

"Technically, you just have." The Doctor laughed. Raven felt like a vein in her head was bulging with frustration.

"You just don't get it!" Raven tried to keep her voice level but she was fighting back a lot of anger "You dismiss me but you don't have the first clue about me, do you?!"

The Doctor stopped fiddling with the console and leaned against it and listened to Ravens rant.

How could the Doctor possibly understand her? Looking at him he seemed like the kind of person who was at the top of his class, probably had millions of friends looking up to him, respect him, love him, he maybe even had Gallifreyan girls falling over him. His cute looks and regal nature told her he was probably born into some kind of prosperity. Where as she was born a demon, was treated and shunned like a demon and was told her very nature is wicked and evil, and worst of all to know your destiny, it just... it just... How could the Doctor possibly empathise with that? The happy go lucky traveller, so bouncy and happy, and it irritated her that the Doctor would judge her behaviour when he didn't have a hope in hell in understanding anything about her.

The Doctor looked sadly at her, and Raven felt herself turn red because she hadn't just thought this, she had blurted it all out, every word of it. The candles dotted around the control room had all been blown out by her power escaping as she had vented and the TARDIS control room was almost pitch dark except for the glow from the console, the tall time rotor casting everything in blue. The Doctor was silent, not another word passed between them. The only noise was the slight, echoing groan of the Time Rotor as it rose and fell inside its glass column.

Raven took the silence as conformation that she was right and he had no defence, nothing to say back to her. _Which makes a change!_ She thought. So she spun on her heel and walked back to her room leaving the Doctor in the darkness.

* * *

She didn't see the Doctor again for days. She didn't want to. Who was he to tell her what she thought was wrong?! How dare he try to manipulate her like that. What sort of traumatic life could the Doctor have had to produce such a happy go lucky person? In Ravens mind there was none. If there was, then the Doctor would be more like her, trying to kill all emotion inside himself so he didn't have to feel the pain anymore.

Each day Raven's mind returned to the subject of the Doctor and how he could be so arrogant and condescending towards her. It was an obsession she kept pushing aside but kept coming back, even meditation didn't seem to get rid of it. Why wouldn't it go away?!

"Zagreus sits inside your head, Zagreus lives among the Dead, Zagreus sees you in your bed, and eats you when you're sleeping." it was that rhyme again? Where was it coming from? "Zagreus at the end of days, Zagreus lies all other ways, Zagreus comes when times a maze, and all of history is weeping." It was replacing her chimes, the words were just spilling from her mouth and she didn't know why.

"Zagreus taking time a part, Zagreus fears the hero heart, Zagreus seeks the final part, the reward that he is reaping." The more of it she said the more familiar it seemed to get to her. Weird. "Zagreus sings when all is lost, Zagreus takes all those he's crossed, Zagreus wins and all it costs, the heroes hearts he's keeping." Who or what was Zagreus? Weirdly the turmoil in her head seemed to slowly evaporate as her emotions came back under her control and she was at peace again. She didn't know what that rhyme was, but it seemed to do the trick for her.

With a clear mind she began to rationalise that though the Doctor may have been arrogant and condescending, he was good at heart. Maybe even foolishly so; and she wouldn't let her life and her behaviour be dictated by that man, nor her emotions towards that man.

Later she found herself returning to the console room but only to change books again, and leave. But she stopped as she realised, the Doctor was out. The TARDIS was still and she effectively had the whole TARDIS to herself, she had the control room to herself, which meant she had the library to herself.

Instead of walking the distance back to her room Raven sat down in the Doctors antique reading arm chair. It was quite comfortable. She didn't stretch out her feet to the foot stool though. Instead she curled up, raising her feet onto the chair and pulled her hood up so she could focus on the book and not the flashing lights of the console. She didn't realise her form looked very defensive but consciously she didn't notice. She began to read.

The peace of her mind was disturbed only by the chinking as a cup and saucer was placed on the table next to her. She was brought back to reality and to the realisation that the Doctor was back, the TARDIS was in flight again, and he'd just left her a cup of tea.

The demon girl looked at it, some part of her wanted to smash it, to focus all her power on it and shatter it into a million pieces, because it was her nature, she was a destroyer. But for whatever reason she just didn't. She didn't drink it either and intended to let it go cold, but several chapters into her book the cup was still steaming.

The Doctor was still busy at the controls. As he moved around the console his gentle voice quietly hummed a tune. It was a slow, relaxing tune. Amazingly, Raven didn't find this distracting nor annoying. In fact, it was rather soothing to listen to. She didn't know why. She just liked it.

Raven could leave, she could get up, walk out and go back to her room. But she was already comfortable where she was, and leaving would just be her emotions dictating to her what she should do instead of her mind, so she stayed. Plus, she did kind of like listening to his gentle humming, she didn't know why, but she just liked it. Her eyes briefly rolled to look over the top of her book at the Doctor as he piloted this insane Time Machine to its next pointless destination and its next pointless adventure.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

[EDITS] A great deal was chopped off and replaced in this chapter because as I continued the story I felt what was about to happen was better suited to later in the story instead of here at the start.

 **[EDITS 02/11/19]** One thing I noticed about the Eighth Doctor that no one ever picked up on in the TV movie was that he hummed quite a lot. After listening to the audio story Dalek Trap where Paul McGann does hum it suddenly clicked for me that in the books and audios the Doctor is never shown to hum a gentle tune, and like Paul McGann's performance the humming can be quite soothing to listen to. So I decided to make that part of the story overall. Since this is early in eights life its possible he fell out of the habit later. For this minor edit I've had to go back and edit it into chapters further on than this. It doesn't alter anything major, it just gives something about the Doctor for Raven to like about him. Plus, its kind of poetic for gentle music to sooth the soul of the monster within.


	8. Bk2 Chapter 7, Out of your comfort zone

**BOOK 2**

 **Shadow of the Shaydes**

* * *

Plot:

Searching for the Doctor Raven is soon roped into one of his many mundane adventures. But Raven is about to find out she is not nearly as invulnerable as she likes to think, and that the Doctor is not totally tolerant of her behaviour and attitude.

Raven is about to find out that this funny, flippant man can be more scary than any monster.

* * *

 **Chapter 7**

 **Out of your Comfort Zone**

Raven had started leaving her room more often and began exploring the TARDIS finding swimming pools, a cricket field, a very large chamber with a stone eye set into a platform, this room had bats in it. A home movie theatre, a squash court, a laboratory, a workshop, a boot cupboard that was more the size of a living room. A second console room, it was a smaller, white one with roundels around the walls, and a broader console with a shorter Time Rotor It was so white, Raven hated it. There was also a dark room with a tree like object made of tangled wires which had some kind of glowing, blue globes dangling from its branches like apples. She also found a large garage but all that was in it was a disassembled, purple, bubble like jalopy car. The last thing she'd found was what looked like a Zeppelin hanger, but it had no Zeppelin in it, just an umbrella stand with a single umbrella.

Despite all the weird and odd rooms contained within this small Police Box Raven had found herself being gravitated more towards the console room. She spent more time here, mostly because this is where the library was, and she was getting tired of having to walk the two or three miles just to get back to her room every time she wanted to change books. She tried to teleport, but she guessed the warped dimensions of the TARDIS made that impossible. Though oddly, Raven wasn't sure, but she could swear that recently her room had been getting closer and closer to the console room, somehow without compromising the distance to everything else.

Being in the console room unfortunately meant she had to 'hang' with the Doctor without actually trying to hang him. She was training herself to get used to the Doctor and his antics, and his irritating optimism about everything. He seemed to want to do nothing but talk if not to her, then to the console or even himself as if he had some captive audience listening to him. Thankfully he was so soft spoken she had no problems drowning it out and focusing on her books.

The moody teen picked up a book by H.P. Lovecraft, and the Doctor started yapping on about the demon in it and how he defeated it. Raven rolled her eyes, the Doctor was talking rubbish, the demon was just a fiction... Wasn't it?

When the Doctor wasn't talking he was humming slow, gentle tunes, which Raven didn't mind. In fact, she preferred him to hum than talk. There was something rhythmic and soothing about it to her mind. It wasn't award winning music, but it helped her concentrate on her books, more so than dead silence did. Raven was getting the sense the only reason he hummed these gentle tunes so much is because Raven would not let him put his record player on. Every time the needle made contact with the record the arm would lift back up seemingly on its own, and Raven made it obvious that it was her doing it because it was shrouded in darkness, it's white outline showing through the blackness. The only time Raven became irritated with the Doctor's humming was when he tried to hum something fast paced and noisy. Raven wanted to express her displeasure, but refrained from grabbing the Doctor by the neck with her powers. Instead she found in a nearby chest of draws wads of cotton that she rammed into her ears to muffle the noise. Wads of cotton Raven was going to keep on her person for similar situations.

Raven relaxed in the Doctors reading chair, the tea pot on the table near her also provided her with an endless supply of teas of her choosing. From ordinary Earl Gray to, herbal teas. Whatever she wanted the pot provided, and it never ran out.

For once, the Doctor had become silent. He was still here, but he was concentrating so much on what he was doing he'd fallen silent. Raven didn't like this, the silence didn't feel natural. So as she read she started humming herself, but the tune she hummed wasn't one the Doctor usually hummed. It was that Zagreus tune again.

 _Zagreus sits inside your head,_

 _Zagreus lives among the dead_.

 _Zagreus sees you in your bed,_

 _and eats you when you're sleeping._

Raven had finally decided to find out what that meant, and the only person she could ask was the Doctor.

The Doctor looked at her in surprise when she told him to shut up about the germination habits of black roses and asked about Zagreus. "Oh, that's just an old Gallifreyan Nursery Rhyme." the Doctor said.

"A nursery Rhyme?" Raven echoed slowly as if she'd misheard. She was standing on the console platform on the opposite side of the console to the Doctor, fully hooded and cloaked. "'Zagreus sits inside your head, Zagreus lives among the Dead'" she recited "'Zagreus sees you in your bed, and eats you when you're sleeping'? That is a nursery rhyme you tell kids?"

"Yes." the Doctor said simply "we all learn it like Bah, Bah Black-sheep. Though I prefer the one about the Pan-Dimensional Liquid beast from the Mogadon cluster."

Raven raised an eyebrow "Your people are so weird." she said flatly "What does it mean?"

"Well, the liquid beast came into our galaxy from deep space to..."

"Not the liquid beast." Raven bluntly cut across him "Zagreus!"

"Oh" the Doctor sighed and scratched at one of his sideburns "Well, it's over ten million years old from the dawn of Time Lord society so its original meaning is lost, but there are theories depending on which civilisation you go to." he said "But the interpretation I was taught at the Time Lord academy was that Zagreus is like the Mischief Maker, a puppet master. Someone who lies in the shadows of your mind playing with you, trying to figure out what strings he has to pull to get you to do his bidding. 'Zagreus sits inside your head, Zagreus lives among the dead' because he is inside your head and he's not alive 'Zagreus sees you in your bed, and eats you when you're sleeping' tells about how he eats away at your mind slowly driving you insane, or gently pushing you to do actions in an act of passion you'd later regret. The only way to defeat him was to learn how to tune him out of your mind. Essentially, he'd be the ultimate internet troll."

This made sense to Raven, and the more she thought about the other three verses the more it seemed to make sense. Some of the verses were a stretch though to connect them to lack of self control, but she didn't dwell on them.

"Of course, the alternative explanation is that Zagreus did exist and is another embodiment of 'the World Ender' trope. He is supposed to bring about the end of Time by unravelling it at the seams." The Doctor skipped on before Raven could dwell on that. "I'm surprised you remembered it, you were only a toddler when I sang it to you."

"You sang that to me?" Raven asked quizzically.

"Yes" the Doctor said "Back when I was all teeth and curls. I thought it might help. Since you might have trouble maintaining control." Raven didn't respond to that, it didn't need responding to, he was right. "Try reciting it the next time you feel you're about to lose control. It might calm you to think your mood is being manipulated by that bogeyman."

"But it's not real" Raven insisted "is it?"

"Most Time Lords know its not real but it helps focus the mind and shunt it away from emotional responses. It's like how you say your Azarath chimes to focus your mind and powers. Zagreus focuses your mind in another way, away from emotional responses. Plus you've got to admit it's a lot more catchy than, 'Azarath, metrion, zinthos'." The Doctor said her chimes mimicking her raspy voice. She ignored the mockery.

"Why do Time Lords need to control their emotions?" Raven asked, did they have some power too? She thought.

"Everyone needs to learn to control their emotions at some point." the Doctor said "They have their uses. But sometimes the worst crimes are committed in the name of emotional passions. Whether for a religion, a commitment, a belief, a delusion, and we can't all make things better after mistakes are made."

There were weight to his words as if he'd learnt that lesson from making a big mistake, and she momentarily felt sorry for him, though the source of his regret was a mystery to her. She decided not to pry further, she wouldn't like it if someone did it to her. Anyway, what was she even thinking? _I don't really care about him,_ she told herself. She felt a muscle in her stomach twitch as she told herself that. It's not as if she cared about his affections. She didn't care about anyone's affections, they were pointless and useless to her, and no one should care about her. But some part in the back of her mind whispered to her, _that isn't true_. She told that part of her mind to shut up.

* * *

Raven had been digesting a trilogy of books by some authors who were not from Earth. Weirdly she could understand them. The Doctor had explained that the TARDIS translated alien languages so anyone could understand them. Thankfully not all alien civilisations had grammar as complicated as the Time Lords'.

The Doctor always seemed to spend a lot of time in the console room, and if he wasn't at the console he was outside adventuring. He never seemed to sleep either because Raven could be reading into the small hours of the night and the Doctor would still be at it. Working on the console, fixing it, talking. She guessed he was an alien so she didn't dwell on it.

One time she'd woken up, having fallen asleep in the Doctors chair and found the Doctors coat draped over her to keep her warm. When she saw it she instantly threw it off herself and onto the floor, and when the Doctor retrieved it there wasn't even a crease on it.

Then one day she was having trouble focusing on her books. There was a nagging sensation at the back of her head that something wasn't right. She closed the book she was reading and looked around.

The TARDIS was silent, the engines were still, the machines still clicked and the clocks still ticked. It was peaceful, and 'that' was what was disturbing her. Where was the Doctor? Where was his usual antics, his voice?

Where was his gentle humming?

She guessed he must be out adventuring again. But as she thought about it, the Doctor had been gone longer than usual. She recalled the last time she'd spoken with him was seven days ago, when the TARDIS had landed on a planet called Cerliea. The Doctor had stepped out, but never came back.

Raven got up and walked to the console. Perhaps she just kept missing him because he was out whenever she came into the console room. The TARDIS had simply landed in a new place and he was out having his 'fun'. But as she approached the dials they still said 'Cerliea' and the time display had advanced by seven days. The TARDIS had not moved, and the Doctor had not returned.

She looked up at the scanner and activated it. It was night wherever they were and the place was lit by the light of a very large moon.

Surely the Doctor was fine. He could handle himself. He'd gotten out of enough trouble over 950 years. But the Doctor had mentioned he travelled with friends who often helped him out of dire situations he couldn't get out of himself. What if the Doctor was in trouble?

 _So what?_ She thought as calmly as she could. _I'm not responsible for the Doctor. If he gets into danger then its his own fault._ The lights went out as her powers blew out all the candles in the console room again, she didn't even mean to do it. _Why should I inconvenience myself for a person I don't care about? It's pointless to be upset or emotional about it. I'm safe, the universe is safe, my father is powerless... as long as I stay in here!_

Raven flipped a switch on the console that opened the TARDIS interior doors and now she stood facing the black void between the TARDIS' dimension and the real world. She began to walk into it.

 _I don't care about the Doctor,_ her mind told her, _I don't, I don't! He's irritating, he's obnoxious, and arrogant. I'm... content... no, I'm happy he's finally gone from my life._

Yet something drove her to take the Police Box doors, pull them open and step outside, into the unknown.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

Authors notes: I seem to be doing that thing again where a simple short story keeps getting longer and longer the more ideas I have for it. lol

I went back to re-watch some of the Teen Titans TV show and I noticed that Raven says a lot of things, a lot of cold, heartless things, that she later contradicts by her own actions. Which I decided to use in this chapter.

The Zagreus rhyme having a separate interpretation to the world-ender is my own idea. It still means what it really means in the context of the 8th Doctor audios, it now just has an additional interpretation within the context of this story. Plus, the rhyme is creepy and I just really like it a lot.

I wanted to get Raven out of the TARDIS at least once during the story. I had a number of possible scenarios for that to happen, but this one seemed the most likely given Ravens personality.


	9. Chapter 8, the Reluctant Companion

_Authors notes:_ What I'm going to attempt to do now for the rest of this story is something rather difficult and that is retroactively try to get Raven from where she is now in this story, to how she is at the start of the Teen Titans TV show. I've made her a lot more dismissive and unhelpful than she is in Teen Titans, so I might send her off on some mini adventures with the Doctor to smooth her rough personality before she ends up on Earth.

I think I'm getting the hang of her character and I have to admit, Raven is becoming pretty fun to write for in this. She is just the opposite of what you'd expect from an ordinary companion because she's really not interested nor invested in the situation at all. She also seems to have a duel nature in the way she thinks she should be vs. the way her humanity tells her to be, as if there are two sides at war with each other.

I know I originally said Raven wasn't going to become a 'companion' to the Doctor because she is too O.P. But in a sense she still isn't a proper companion, as you'll see in this chapter.

-Hope you enjoy it, dear reader.

* * *

 **Chapter 8**

 **The Reluctant Companion**

Raven stepped from the TARDIS into the undergrowth. The air smelt fresh and it was cool, it was near pitch dark, and it was also deadly silent. She had been in the TARDIS so long she'd gotten used to a slight 'hum' on the edge of her perception being in the background. Now it was gone and she was deafened by the silence.

The TARDIS had landed in a forest and was surrounded by bushes. Raven pulled up her hood and for the first time regretted her attire. Why did she have to pick something which exposed her legs? They were getting cold.

Raven checked she still had the TARDIS key, it was tucked under her cloaks broach. She was about to move off when she stopped, reached back and pulled the Police Box doors firmly shut to stop unwanted visitors or vermin from getting in.

The way the TARDIS caught the moonlight made the Police Box shell look both alien and yet somehow it looked like it belonged there. She blinked. It was weird. It was like it was there, it shouldn't be there, but something was telling her brain it was supposed to be there. She got the same feeling in the Temple on Azarath when she first saw the TARDIS. But it was like the moment she tried to really focus on it some spell was trying to deflect her attention elsewhere. If it wasn't for the void it created in reality she probably would never even notice the TARDIS at all. It was like the thing was messing with her perception of it.

Putting that out of her mind she turned away from the box and looked around. _What am I doing out here?_ She thought to herself. _I'm just wasting my time._ But still she pushed on, through the night. She could always find the TARDIS again by focusing on the void in space it created.

She stopped, turned back to the Police Box and for good measure cast a spell to freeze the TARDIS lock, just in case the Doctor did come back while she was out and he wouldn't be able to get in and takeoff without her. If that was the case she'll let him back in when she returns. It would serve him right for staying away for so long and making her worry.

 _Worry? I'm not worried,_ She told herself _I just..._ she thought _...I just..._ she knew what she wanted to think but pushed it aside _...I just need him to fly the TARDIS._ Yeah, that was it.

 _What for?_ Said another voice in her head. _You don't care where the TARDIS goes. You stay locked in its depths like a ghost._ She commanded that voice to shut up.

To make her search easier she floated up above the trees and cast her mind out searching for the Doctor. He had a distinctive brain pattern and heart beat so hopefully he'd be easy to find. _If he is still alive._ She morbidly thought. _Don't think things like that!_ Said another voice in her head. _Shut up!_ She commanded them both.

Smoke or steam was crawling over the moon in the distance and a light... a blue glow seemed to appear in a clearing of trees. A settlement? Or a camp? It was probably where the Doctor was and so that's where she headed. Floating above the trees, her cloak flapping behind her giving her the image of a blue ghost.

As she came over the trees she saw a large town. The buildings were made of wood, mostly two or three stories tall. The tallest structure being some kind of tower in the middle. Maybe a site of some religious worship? She reasoned.

Raven set herself down. The place looked quite primitive and she didn't want to upset the people here with her presence, and she didn't want them to bother her, but she had an idea. Taking inspiration from the TARDIS she cast a cloak of perception over her so she could walk freely and not be noticed. They would see her, but not acknowledge her existence. She was effectively a ghost now, and she walked into town.

Looking at the people around her they honestly weren't dressed that differently than she was, except maybe for her leotard. Her hooded cloak would've blended in nicely if it wasn't for a few things.

The first being that her cloak was a vivid blue, theirs was of a brown cloth made of poor materials.

The second thing being these creatures, though bipedal, were a pale shade of blue and their eyes and ears were big and dark, other than that they looked human. Clearly they had evolved to be used to low light conditions. Was this planet in perpetual darkness? If this was true then the street was still well lit despite their nocturnal nature.

She looked at what was casting the strange blue hue around the place. There were pedestals in the street like lamp posts, but instead of lanterns or burning fire like she'd expect, there was instead a kind of crystal like structure in each of them that glowed a pale blue and was putting out more light than any fire would. It kind of made the place look ethereal. Like something from a fantasy novel.

Curiously she felt drawn to one of the lanterns. She reached out, touched it and it instantly turned black instead all light vanishing from it and it looked like it radiated darkness instead. Raven's hand snapped back and it glowed blue again. Some of the locals noticed, but thanks to her cloak of perception they didn't notice her. She wondered why it turned black when she touched it but decided to put it out of her mind. It was irrelevant to her search and she'd hopefully be off this planet soon anyway.

Raven decided to hover just above the ground instead of walking. She got the feeling that though she could fool these creatures visually with her cloak of perception spell, their large ears would certainly be able to hear her footsteps and so floating would solve that problem.

As she wandered like a spectre she realised how primitive these aliens were. They didn't seem to have any form of higher technology. It was more like how Earth used to be in the medieval times. Their most dangerous weapons were just sticks and axes made out of metal and wood. No threat to her, obviously. Honestly, being here depressed her and she wanted to go back to the TARDIS. These people didn't interest her at all, they were existing, they were living, they were surviving. The ins and outs of their society were pointless to dwell on.

She turned her attention back to the Doctor and she cast her mind out to find him. But she found something else which caught her attention instead. It made her come to a stop just in time as a large body of water came down in front of her and splashed to the floor leaving a large puddle. Wherever she was they clearly hadn't invented the toilet yet as someone had dumped a fowl smelling bucket out of their window into the street. She passed over it quickly before she gagged on the smell and followed the strange thing she could sense in her mind.

In the middle of town there was a stone well, and there was something about it that caught Ravens attention. This thing was the strange presence that she could sense. But why? She approached it and the closer she got the more it unnerved her. She looked down into it but she couldn't see much since it was still night. How long did nights last on this planet anyway?

Staring down into the blackness made her feel like she was peering into her very soul.

 _Hel...hello_ she called down telepathically, but whatever was down there it didn't have the capacity to answer her back, or it wouldn't answer back. She felt cold and a deep queasiness of anxiety rose up in her, but she forced it down to remain calm, and serene. The last thing she needed were her powers going haywire here of all places.

Now she heard the sounds of cheering and whaling of a crowd being carried by the wind. Something was going on in the next street and the villagers loved it. She glanced back at the well for a brief second and decided _It didn't matter,_ and she floated away to investigate the crowd.

Floating over the houses and into the towns square she saw the villagers tossing vegetables at a man in stocks. A man she instantly recognised. It was the Doctor.

Raven admitted she got some small pleasure seeing the Doctor get pelted like that with smelly vegetables. That s _erves him right_ , she thought. A small, throaty giggle escaped the bottom of her lungs, she'd decided she had changed her mind, she didn't want to go back to the TARDIS just yet, this was good entertainment.

"No, listen, just listen to me, please!" but the Doctors words were squashed as something impacted and exploded in his face showering him in fowl juices.

As the villagers pelted the Doctor, Raven used her powers to sneak some blue looking vegetables out of someones bag and hid them under her cloak. A small, almost evil smirk played on her lips for what she planned to do with them.

It was a good few minutes before the crowd was forced to disperse and the Doctor was led away at spear point. Three guards in some kind of battle fatigues marched the Doctor away. Raven followed them around the back of a large building and to a smaller, stone building half built into the ground and the Doctor was thrown into one of the underground rooms. A cell of some sort. The door being locked and bolted behind him.

"No, listen to me, please." the Doctor pleaded. "I think you're all in terrible danger."

"Quieten down, mad man" said one of the guards banging on the bars "You deserve worse for what you've done" and the guard walked away.

"But I never did it, you have no proof." But the Doctor gave up when the guard left, locking the outer door behind it. "Why do they never listen?" the Doctor sat down and looked like he was contemplating what to do next.

Raven waited until the guards went away before she cast a spell, and a dark portal formed in front of her. She manipulated it so it connected to the Doctors cell, and smirking again she used her powers to catapult two of the squishy blue vegetables she had through it and got the satisfying sound of a splat as they hit the Doctor.

Raven then passed through the portal herself and finally let her feet touch solid ground. The portal vanishing behind her. She quickly hid her smirk as the Doctor, hair dripping with slimy juice, spun to look at her.

"Raven?!" the Doctor exclaimed wiping the mess from his face. "Am I glad to see you."

Ravens face didn't show any greeting, she looked at the Doctor with a neutral expression. "I think I should leave you here." Raven said "Whatever you did, I'm sure you deserve it."

"They think I'm the cause of their problems, and that I'm some kind of 'pale demon'!" the Doctor exclaimed indignantly.

"Welcome to my world" Raven said flatly.

"Listen, did you notice anything strange as you came into town?" the Doctor asked "Anything that disturbed your finally tuned senses?"

"Yeah, you. You need a bath." Raven said looking at the Doctor up and down. His velvet coat was ruined as liquid and juices had soaked into it, same with his shirt, trousers and waistcoat.

"I'm being serious." The Doctor insisted.

"Yeah, so am I" Raven replied. She knew a spell that would clean everything off the Doctor in a split second. But she was enjoying his discomfort too much, though she didn't show it externally. She tried to remain dead inside, from the outside at least.

"I meant anything of a psychic nature?" the Doctor continued "Over the course of 'three moons' -what these people call months- it seems people have been disappearing."

"Fascinating" Raven said dully, she wasn't interested at all "Now, are we going back to the TARDIS?"

"No" the Doctor said firmly "There is a presence here, and I suspect it is malicious."

"So?" Raven asked.

"So?" the Doctor echoed, he looked at her as if she was some immoral demon. Well, she was. Why did that surprise him? "Haven't you been paying attention? People are vanishing, they might even be dead. Don't you want to help them?"

"I don't know them." Raven said now staring at the Doctor like he was some mortal. She also hoped it would unnerve him. But it didn't have the effect she wanted of it. In fact the Doctor didn't even notice.

"Would you even help them if you did know them?" the Doctor asked. Ravens eyes rolled a little as if that was a stupid question to ask of a demon like her. In reality, she wondered if she would. Likely the answer was 'no' but she wasn't sure. "Look, just help me. Just do this... this one time for me?" _For him? What do I owe him?_ "Just this one time? Please!" _Who is he to tell me what to do? Does he honestly think, 'please' will make me do anything?_

Raven sighed slowly "Okay, fine" _What?! What am I saying? She thought._ But she knew the Doctor wasn't going to come with her willingly, she could drag him away but she knew she wouldn't hear the end of it from him. Best to do what the Doctor wants, then she can return to her reading.

"You're a star" the Doctor said clapping his hands together.

"No." Raven said more to herself rolling her eyes, "I'm just a sucker."

* * *

Raven helped by teleporting both herself and the Doctor out of the cell. She wanted to teleport him directly to the TARDIS and force him inside. But at the last second her mind teleported them to the strange well she'd found. Where the Doctor wanted to go.

"Tell me" the Doctor asked "Did you notice anything out of the ordinary about this planet?" the Doctor stepping from the portal.

"Is that a serious question?" Raven asked, everything was out of the ordinary for her on this planet. She sighed and resigned herself to the fact she was about to get a lecture.

"The planet is tidally locked between it and it's star. Meaning it rotates as fast as it orbits its parent star, so this side of the planet never gets sun light, but the other side gets roasted. The same way the Earths moon is tidally locked with the Earth so only one side faces the planet." the Doctor said, he was rattling off ideas more for his own benefit than for Ravens. "The only light this side gets is from the moon. But here is the big question." the Doctor paused for dramatic reasons, Raven rolled her eyes for tolerant ones. "The planet orbits a red dwarf star, but the moon shines a pale blue. Which means?" he was asking her a question.

Raven couldn't care less but she found herself answering it in her mind. She knew little about science, but from what little she had read she knew what the Doctor was implying. A red dwarf star would only put out redder hues of light. So why was the moon glowing blue?

The Doctor waited and Raven refused to answer or play this stupid game of his. "Come on" the Doctor encouraged her.

Raven sighed again and gave up "A red dwarf star emits only red light, the moon should be red." she said like someone indulging a child. "Anything else, teacher?" she added mockingly.

"No, that was exactly the answer. Very good, miss Rae"

"Don't call me, Rae" Raven cut across.

"Well, don't give me that attitude" the Doctor quickly said, and before Raven could react the Doctors lips were flapping again. "Fascinatingly the disappearances happen whenever the moon is either blocked by clouds, or is on the other side of the planet." the Doctor finally was coming to the point. "Now interestingly, this well is built at an awkward angle. It's not going straight down, it's tilted at a ten degree incline in such a way that the moon shines directly into it." Raven looked at the well. He was right, it wasn't perfectly straight, but it was such a mundane detail she never picked up on it. "Why?" the Doctor asked "Subsidence? Or was it built like that? What did you sense down there?"

Raven sighed again like a moody teen and told the Doctor what she'd sense down there. Some kind of presence but it wasn't a complex one. Or one that could, or would answer back to her telepathic calls.

"Is any of this relevant?" Raven asked afterwards.

"Is a grain of sand relevant?"

"No!" Raven insisted.

"And that just shows the failure of your imagination." the Doctor said as he leaned over the edge of the well, holding some kind of flash light he used to shine down the throat of the well. "Little Timmy!" he cried and his voice echoed back "Can you hear me?" Raven rolled her eyes.

"Not everything is going to be connected." Raven reasoned.

"And until we can clearly eliminate certain things as irrelevant, lets pretend they are." the Doctor said. Raven was astonished at the Doctors ability to answer her back at a million miles per hour "Have you noticed the glow stones that light this place?" he turned to Raven again and pointed up "Remind you of anything?"

Raven looked up, saw the blue glowing moon. Understood what the Doctor was saying, that those stones came from the moon. Probably blasted off the surface by meteor impacts and later fell to this planet years later. When Raven didn't play along the Doctor began to verbally explain.

"The rocks must come from the moon, blasted off when..."

"Okay, I get it!" Raven said, not shouting but in a higher pitch to stop the Doctor talking.

"Well, your social skills are a lot to be desired" the Doctor said "But that explains why the moon glows blue, not red. It doesn't glow because of light reflected from its parent star. It curiously produces the glow itself." The Doctor was now rubbing his fingers over his knuckles as he thought, almost like a poker player hiding his cards.

"Right," the Doctor said "That's as far as I'm up to. Where do we go from here?" he wondered to himself.

 _Back to the TARDIS!_ Raven wanted to say, but she bit her tongue.

"Let's work out what we don't know." the Doctor said, drumming his fingers on the back of his head. His eyes wandering everywhere as his brain ticked over.

"Yes, lets." Raven said sarcastically.

"We don't know what's taking these people. We don't know why the people are being taken, we don't know what for, we don't know what criteria they possibly meet that others don't. We don't know how this odd well fits into all of this, if it indeed does. We don't know why the attacks happen when the moon is covered."

"We don't know why we should care" Raven said out loud, the Doctor ignored her.

"We need some information gathering" the Doctor said "I'm sorry Raven, but you're going to have to talk to some 'real' people."

Raven's face fell more than normal "No" she said flatly, crossing her arms over her chest. She'd agreed to help the Doctor out, but this was crossing a line. She didn't 'do' people. She didn't 'do' crowds. She didn't 'do' socialising. She didn't 'do' adventuring. She didn't 'do' helping.

"I can't do it, they'll lock me back up again in two heart beats the moment they see me" the Doctor said.

"And I'm tempted to let them do it." Raven said giving the Doctor a look which still clearly and firmly said _No._

"Your purple eyes means you look almost like them. The blue hue of the lights makes your grey skin look like a similar hue to theirs. The ears might be a problem." the Doctor commented.

"You're not doing anything to my ears!" Raven stepped back away from the Doctor, ready to cast him into another dimension if he laid a finger on her.

"Don't be silly, just keep your hood up, and your cloak closed, and you can pass for one of them." the Doctor insisted.

"And what are you going to do?" Raven asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm going to find a glow stone to examine." the Doctor said, pulling out some kind of tube device. It looked kind of like a big spoon on the end with a red shaped bullet pointing ninety degrees to the handle. She'd seen him using it when he was working on the TARDIS console. It produced a high pitched noise Raven found highly irritating.

Raven sighed deeply, a raspy noise escaped showing her irritation. But then she had a thought. She quickly realised she could bargain for something here. If the Doctor wanted her to do this then he'd have to give her something in return and she knew exactly what she wanted. "Okay, I'll do it, but only under one condition." she said, "that you have the TARDIS move my room closer to the library, and I want the bathroom moving closer to me too."

"Done" the Doctor said and was already moving off.

"Wait" Raven called. The Doctor stopped, turned to look at her as Raven charged her powers. She formed black energy over the Doctors skin and blasted it out with such force that all the rotting vegetables he'd been pelted with came flying off him, including the juices that caused him to stink. He was now as clean as he was when he left the TARDIS and with no awful scent. She figured he'd suffered enough indignity of looking like he crawled out of a trash can.

"Thank you." the Doctor said. "This saves me a trip to the dry cleaners."

"I did it to save my nose. Not save you your dry cleaning" Raven said. _Liar!_ A voice in her head said. _Shut it_! She commanded of it.

"Of course you did" the Doctor replied, showing he didn't buy it and walked off leaving her alone to learn how to socialise by herself.

 _I really, really, hate you, Doctor_! She thought, and that she did mean.

* * *

 _Okay, here goes._ Raven thought as she walked among the residence of this town. Dropping her cloak of perception spell. She looked around wondering where on Earth does she start seeking information about missing people? How does she go about talking to these people, at all?

In her stomach a small amount of anxiety bubbled up, but she forced it down. She guessed most normal humans would be concerned about giving offence to these people if she said the wrong thing. But since Raven wasn't invested in the Doctors game, nor was she concerned that those people could hurt her because of her powers, she just walked up to the nearest person and asked.

"You! What do you know about the missing villagers?" the reaction was exactly how she predicted. They hesitated and walked around her like she was a threat and looked at her as if she was nothing they'd ever seen before.

She sighed, _Okay, you've read enough books. Where do people go when they need information?_ She asked. _A pub? A bar? A restaurant?_ But what if these people didn't have their own equivalent of alcohol? What did they even eat?

She attempted to be more casual, so she walked up to someone else a few streets later and said "Interesting weather we're having tonight." but there must've been something wrong with her delivery because the creature stared at her before saying "It's horrid!" and it moved on.

She sighed again deeply to clear her irritation. This was going to be more difficult than she thought. Though she couldn't tell, her attempts to be 'friendly' with the locals actually did make her sound like some unnatural devil spawn. Which is what she was. But that image wasn't helping and she didn't know how to put on any other face to reassure them.

"Hey, are you lost?" and Raven turned around and looked down. It was a child, a child of these people. It was looking up at her curiously. Raven wanted to recoil. She still didn't like children.

"Ye..." she stumbled "Yes." she was on her guard in case this little monster tried to trick, or do something to her. Her powers were ready and she was focused on this creatures neck ready to inflict damage if it tried to attack her.

"You must be from the Northern settlements!" the child declared. "They look really funny." Raven didn't bother taking offence, it would be pointless. After all, to her they all looked funny.

Part of her told her to kneel down and bring herself down to the child's level. But she stopped herself as she moved to do it. If she knelt down she'd be exposing herself and relinquishing whatever sense of dominance she might have in this situation if this creature acted up. She never considered that giving up her dominant stance might be a good thing that would put the creature at ease.

"I..." she hesitated trying to choose her words wisely "Is this place safe for me?" she asked "I've heard stories of people going missing."

The kid looked sad "We're not supposed to talk about it."

"P..." she stopped, and she had to force the word out of her mouth "Please..." she decided to play down her dominant position a little though she still refused to kneel down. "I'm a small, lonely little girl and I need to know if I should stay here." She failed to notice the tone in her voice was very robotic, even for her, as she said this.

"Girl, what's a girl?" the creature asked, and Raven realised they might not even have genders on this planet. She wasn't interested, so she didn't ask.

"Is it safe for me in this village. Yes or no?" Raven was losing her patience, and the child looked scared, like it knew something but was too scared to say it. Or maybe it was scared of her. Raven tried kneeling down now, giving up her dominance over the situation altogether, but she'd already scared the child and Raven's attempts at a reassuring smile didn't help. Raven didn't realise her smile looked more creepy than her blank expression. The creature looked frightened and intimidated and was starting to retreat after Ravens smile faded to a frown and her eyes betrayed the anger she was feeling.

"I don't have time for this!" and before the creature could get out of her grasp Raven's right hand came out of her cloak, like a long, slender, bony claw and clamped down on the child's head firmly so it couldn't pull away and Raven dived into its mind. The things mind was simple and she found the information she wanted quickly, it was close to the surface, and Raven extracted everything she needed from it about missing people. She pulled out before the child knew what had happened, and as she removed her hand the child stumbled back having felt Raven rummage around inside its head.

Raven stood back up and said "Thank you" and the kid ran away in terror, screaming, and so it should. _Run away,_ Raven thought _here comes a monster_.

"I really, really hate kids" Raven said aloud.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 _Authors notes:_ As I said at the start, Raven is not like any ordinary companion, in fact she's failing at being any kind of companion to the Doctor because though she is conflicted she is ultimately selfish. At this stage in her life she is greatly disinterested in any mystery the Doctor is investigating and isn't invested in it at all. Yet she feels compelled to help anyway. Plus the Doctor is used to fighting monsters, and here is Raven, a girl who honestly believes she is an evil monster in her heart and at times can act like one.

Her social awkwardness also means that despite her powers shes pretty much useless in the usual companion role, especially when it comes to information gathering. Which is why Raven goes down the easy and more dark route of forcing people to give up information by force, instead of reasoning it out of them. She really doesn't understand why its wrong to do it even if its for a greater good. And this way of thinking is going to eventually impact her relationship with the Doctor in future chapters.

I've brought in a little bit of a playful mischievous nature to her, which I guess she assumes is just her evil side.

I've added some small characterisations to the eighth Doctor that were not present in the TV Movie, nor the audios. But were present a little in the books.

I haven't fleshed out the village all that much in the story, mostly because Raven has missed the Doctors portion of the adventure where a culture is explored. Also Raven is not interested in it at all, so she's doing that thing where she judges things on surface value. Hence why she refers to everyone as 'creature' 'thing' 'child' or 'it'. Plus, I'll leave it up the imagination of the reader to fill in the blanks as the civilisation is supposed to play second fiddle to how Raven is trying and failing at being a companion to the Doctor.


	10. Chapter 9, Pretending to be the Monster

Authors notes: I've realised the last chapter was a tad flat and dull except for the latter half. Too much exposition, maybe. Might try to go back and fix it later. But hopefully I've made up for it with this chapter.

-Enjoy

* * *

 **Chapter 9**

 **Pretending to be a Monster.**

Raven repeated her brain drain on several other people in the town. They were totally uncooperative so this made things a million times easier and quicker. She made sure only to strike when they were out of sight or when they least expected it. This way she was able to quickly track down those who knew the missing people well and get any additional information from them. She kept doing this until she'd built up a coherent picture of the people who'd vanished.

From what she could tell they were all roughly the same age. Some had bad 'scale-rot' and a couple had an obsession with collecting stones but it wasn't anything that connected all of them. Except one thing, she just realised. They apparently knew each other and went to the same tutor to learn skills, this cultures version of a school in other words. There was also another that they all knew of from that 'class' but that person had gone missing many years previous and she decided it wasn't worth looking into.

After learning all she could she hovered away so she could find the Doctor. Again she projected a perception shield around her so people weren't freaked out by a blue ghost hovering around the place. She went into the forest tracking the Doctors distinctive aura and found him sitting over some rocks buzzing them with the tube thing of his. She landed and told him everything she'd learnt which wasn't much. She expected the Doctor to be disappointed, but he listened to it all as if it was all relevant to his investigations.

Half of her wished to dip into his mind to see how he saw things, his behaviour was so alien even to her.

"You found all that out pretty fast" the Doctor said, checking the pocket watch in his waistcoat. "I only left you fifteen minutes ago."

"I can be very persuasive when I want to be" Raven commented. She didn't mention how she actually got the information. She had a feeling the Doctor would not approve and she didn't want another lecture from him. But he still looked at her with suspicion as if he could read her mind. He couldn't, could he? She felt her mask slip as her eyes went a little wider at that thought showing concern, or fear. _No, it was definitely concern._ She corrected.

"Well, while you've been making friends..." Raven couldn't tell if that was a quip at her expense or not.

"You've been collecting stones" Raven said making it sound mundane and silly.

"Yes, and interestingly the rolling ones gather no moss." the Doctor said. Raven didn't know if that was witty or not, but it sounded like a silly and pointless comment to make.

"The glow stones have similar properties to the moon up there." the Doctor said pointing up. "It's entirely possible that's where it all came from. It seems to have a kind of phosphorescence, but the energy output is unlike anything humans would have seen on Earth. Its atomic structure according to my Sonic Screwdriver" he held up his tube device "indicates an Alkaline, Earth Metal silicate. 'Earth Metal' meaning a chemical group, not that its from Earth." He explained. "But it's crystalline structure indicates a kind of psionic resonance."

"You mean it reacts with brain waves?" Raven summed up. Why couldn't the Doctor explain things simply, in few words? But irritatingly he was doing that thing again which made him almost impossible to look away from once he got into his swing.

"In a manner of speaking." the Doctor held up a piece of glow rock. "I have a hypothesis. Hold out your hand." Raven did as instructed almost without thinking about it and the Doctor dumped the rock into her open hand. The glow slowly faded until it became a dull, gray rock. Then its surface turned black and it seemed to irradiate darkness.

"That's Fascinating." the Doctor said "It's reacting to your psychic potential."

Raven began to feel dizzy and sick to her stomach. She felt like something was munching at her. Trying to pull on her soul. She dropped the rock, it glowed white again and she came back to her senses.

"Psionic sickness from having your chakras pulled on." the Doctor summed up, "not pleasant. I could feel it tug at my own telepathic abilities."

"Did you know it would do that to me?!" Raven exclaimed a little louder than she wanted.

"I had a hunch" the Doctor said before noticing the tone in her voice. "Relax, you're fine. Don't get emotional over it." Raven really wanted to hit him for that remark.

"It's like the glow stones emit energy, but can absorb it through a number of different methods. From the vibrations of my Sonic Screwdriver, to the psychic potential of a moody teen." But the Doctor continued on before Raven could react to that. He had a habit of doing that. "But do you know what else is interesting?"

"What?" Raven couldn't help herself, she had to ask it.

"I analysed that deep well we were near, and its not made from stone, or at least the inside of it isn't. It's made from rock like this one. Therefore, it isn't a well. Or it was never intended to be one."

"The suspense is killing me" Raven said flatly.

"It's arrangement is more of a storage facility. Dozens of these glow stones arranged in a pattern to store an even larger amount of energy. Like some kind of a battery, or maybe as some kind of harnessing focus." the Doctors face turned dark as he realised something. "The well is dark" he said.

"It's a well, they usually are." Raven replied.

"No, I mean really, really dark." the Doctor said "I shone a light down it and despite it only being fifty feet deep I couldn't see the bottom. Therefore something is down there and the stones are draining away it's psychic potential."

The Doctor rattle all this off to her like some kind of murder mystery. Raven had to admit to herself that she was captivated by the way the Doctor used his voice to tell her all this, altering his voices' pitch and vocalisation, going down at grim realisations and higher at an exciting discovery. It was like his voice was able to push and pull your attention, grabbing it at the start, leading it along, and as he rattled on his voice would get lower and your brain had no choice but to wilfully follow it down to hear the conclusion. It was like watching a Shakespearean performer at a theatre work their magic. It was that command of his voice that kept her mind at attention despite her wanting to ignore it and focus on stuff more important to her.

The Doctor touched his tube device, his Sonic Screwdriver to his lips as he thought.

"Not enough information" he concluded "Not enough to come up with a definite answer to whats going on."

"The disappeared people?" Raven suggested. "Couldn't it just be something mundane?" she sighed. She tried to mimic the same trick the Doctor did, but upon hearing herself she could tell it didn't have nearly the same effect. In fact it sounded more like she was whining.

"Well..." the Doctor said waving his had dismissively "It's a possibility, but usually in my experience a mysterious dark well made out of a psychic absorbing stones, followed by several disappearances are rarely unconnected. Now assuming I'm right, and I usually am, I suspect the key may lie with that child who went missing years ago" he held up his hand to Raven as if he knew what she was about to say "Yes, it might be unconnected, it might be pointless to look deeper into it. But we won't know unless we look."

The Doctor began pacing, and Raven stood there watching him like a sister playing along with a little brothers play time, or that was the view she was telling herself.

"Why don't we just destroy the well and be done with this?" Raven said but the Doctor cut across her. "No! That's a terrible idea. We don't know what the well does, or what it contains. What it's even imprisoning, if it is imprisoning something or someone."

"Like I care." Raven said out loud trying to take control of her own head and dictate to it what to do, what to say and how to behave. It wasn't like her to pay attention to someone so strongly and she was determined for it not to be like her at all.

"Look" the Doctor sighed heavily as if she was grinding on his nerves. _Good,_ she thought. "I don't believe for one moment you're as heartless as you pretend to be. You just think you have to be that way because you believe nobody can ever see you as anything else but a heartless monster. So you don't bother to try to be anything else. I can see it in your eyes, deep down there is a 'Raven' you're suppressing, the one who cares about beings other than herself, and that 'Raven' is desperate to get out, spread her wings, and fly."

Raven let those words hang in the air. "Finished?" she asked as if it all that meant nothing to her.

"There is good in you, Raven, that's why you resist your destiny instead of following it. But if you're not ready to break that cycle and let it flower. If you're not ready to be someone else then I suggest you go back to the TARDIS and continue pretending to be an un-redeemable monster."

"Yes, perhaps I will!" Raven said with more emotion than she intended. What she really wanted to say was _I am an un-redeemable MONSTER!_ But didn't want her emotions to dictate and tell her what to do, despite that she refused to admit it was an emotional response that made just turn away from the Doctor and head back towards the safety of the TARDIS.

* * *

Silently flowing through the forest in the air to get back to the TARDIS the emotions inside Raven seethed and grew and a dark glow flowed around her.

Why was the Doctor so invested? Why was he interfering? By the look of it these people were content. Looking at the village they were happy as they were, so why couldn't the Doctor leave them alone? He was like an arrogant child poking or prodding an ants nest to see how the ants reacted. Sure a couple of people have gone missing but there will probably be some mundane explanation surrounding it all and the Doctor was just making a mountain out of an ant hill.

And pretend to be a monster? She isn't pretending. She is a monster! She could feel it in her core. She was cruel, she was nasty, she was unpleasant, she was twisted and creepy. She was a demons daughter and she didn't want to be anything else because she couldn't be anything else! She wanted people to cower at her shadow, to run and hide at her presence, to scatter at her foot falls, she wanted people to fear her so they would go away and leave her alone!

There was a loud crack as power escaped her, fired from the jewel in her forehead and it struck a nearby tree that, up until that point had been stable, and now as she watched, slowly and comically it began falling over and landed with a crash on the floor.

She took a very long and slow deep breath to clear her mind. _This was all the Doctors fault!_

"Help!" someone cried "Somebody, help!" the cry was ethereal, almost ghostly.

"I shouldn't interfere" Raven said to herself "I want to go back to the TARDIS" she said her thoughts aloud because she seemed to be ignoring her own internal monologue. And she was still ignoring her own monologue because she was floating in the direction of the voice.

She went through the forest towards a large lake of water. Mist seemed to hang in the air giving the place a creepy, yet mystical look to the place. Raven wasn't scared, though. She liked it, she almost felt at home.

"Please, help me!" came the cry again. "I'm drowning."

"I can hear you!" Raven cried out "Where are you?!"

"Can you hear me?!" the voice cried, there was something in the way that it echoed that Raven didn't like. She suddenly had the sense of being led along like bait into a trap. But what could they do against her? She was a powerful sorceress. Whatever trap they have laid she will easily get out of.

That was until some kind of black mass jumped out at her from the water and struck her in the stomach, bringing her to the forest floor.

As she composed herself, a black mass had dropped from the trees. A black mass that seemed to be forming into some kind of creature, bipedal, two arms, two legs, and a head. But the outline wasn't solid and looked almost like how a child might draw a person. Though it was totally black and eye-less Raven got the impression it was looking at her. Looking hungrily at her. It advanced towards her and Raven used her powers to project a dark energy wall between her and it.

And the thing stepped straight through it was if it was air! Ravens mouth fell open. Her force walls never failed! She tried to blast the thing away with stream of dark energy from her finger tips, but the thing stood there and looked like it was absorbing it all!

Raven stood up, grabbed rocks, stones, boulders and fallen trees from all around her with her powers and tossed them at the creature. But the creature either batted them aside or warped his entire form to avoid them.

That's when the creature attacked. It flung out its arms and Raven was caught square in the chest and she was flung back against a tree before rolling onto the floor again.

The creature melted into another black mass and flowed through the forest. It wrapped around her legs, crawled up her hips, over her arms and chest, and finally over her face. She tried every kind of defensive spell she could think of to get this thing off her, but everything she tried didn't seem to faze the creature.

She couldn't breathe! She tried to draw breath but it felt like this creature was trying to work its way into her lungs. She covered her mouth and pinched her nose to deny it entry to her body.

She tried to think, tried to find some way of getting this creature off her. But her lungs began to burn, they desperately wanted to breathe. She was panicking and getting emotional, her powers were flying out of her control, causing loud bangs as trees exploded in dark blasts, the water in the lake boiled, and a dust devil was stirred up. But none of it useful, none of it focused and none of it stopping the creature. In fact it seemed to like the chaos all the more.

Raven was helpless. She had to breathe, she had to take a breath! _I'm going to die!_

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

Authors notes: As always all reviews, thoughts and criticisms are welcome.

In hindsight perhaps I should've hinted at the monster earlier in the previous chapter, as a kind of creepy, dark presence that was at the edge of perception. Perhaps I'll go back and fix that at a later date.

I've been listening to some of the 8th Doctor, Big Finish audios and I've noticed the way Paul McGann uses his voice as the Doctor does make it difficult to not pay attention to him. So I wrote that into the story.

I've written Raven as a conflicted character, as I think all people seemed to be at some point in their lives where they are full of experiences but don't know how to contextualise them. Part of her mind is telling her she's a bad person and should just do what is expected of a bad person because people will never treat her any differently, but another part of her mind is telling her she should follow her heart and be who she wants to be despite of the treatment she gets whether it be either positive or negative. I know there is a psychological name for what Raven is going through, but I can't for the life of me remember what it's called. Anyone willing to help me out here? I know I'll kick myself when I remember what it's called.


	11. Chapter 10, the Shayde

**Chapter 10**

 **The Shayde**

Raven's lungs burnt and things began to go black. The grip on her mouth and nose were weakening and she could feel the creature working its way between her fingers.

She felt a power building in the pit of her stomach. In her panic something was happening.

Suddenly the creature was gone! Raven impacted the ground, knocking whatever air was left in her lungs and she drank down the fresh air from around her. As she caught her breath she got up onto her hands and knees and saw she had moved. She had instantly and without thinking teleported herself a few feet away and up into the air.

The creature writhed as it struggled to figure out where its prey had gone, but it wasn't stupid, it quickly realised Raven was behind it.

Raven got to her feet and ran into the undergrowth, the creature chasing after her.

She leapt into the air and flew, or she did for a few seconds. As she gained height every now and then she'd suddenly drop a few feet. She couldn't focus, this was a life or death situation and the stress of it was making it hard to focus on her powers.

Eventually they stopped entirely and she dropped to the floor. She avoided serious damage by grabbing onto the branch of a tree that broke her fall. Raven landed on the ground and took off running as fast as her legs could carry her. She didn't think, she focused all of her energies on fleeing the thing that she was certain was following her.

She leapt up and tried to fly again but the power wasn't coming. She tried to teleport again, but again for whatever reason the power wasn't working. After a while she came to a stop, panting for breath and tried to collect herself. She was certain she'd out ran the thing, so projected her mind out to find out where it was.

She could sense something! But it wasn't the creature. It was one of the villagers out in the forest gathering fruit and berries, by itself. Why it was by itself she didn't know. It must still be their waking hours, she reasoned.

But then she felt the creature, the black mass, and it was creeping towards the villager.

 _It's distracted. Run, run, now!_ Raven's mind commanded of itself, but she hesitated, she was conflicted. _RUN, RUN!_ and in a split second Raven did, but towards the villager. As soon as she could see the pale creature she shouted out to it.

"RUN, RUN, SOMETHING'S COMING!" the villager looked at her, but couldn't react in time. The dark creature rose up and swallowed the villager within itself. Raven wanted to help, but she was rooted to the spot because she felt the villagers life force slowly fading in distress, and terror. It faded, faded, faded. Gone.

Raven had never felt anything like that before. She felt cold.

Immediately the creature stepped off the villager and the pale person crumpled to the floor, totally drained of any kind of life. Just a dead husk.

Now the creature came for her again, and Raven turned and ran again as this thing followed her.

 _Stupid girl,_ her mind told her. As she ran she kept jumping into the air trying to focus. _Fly! Come on, fly! FLY!_

Suddenly her legs snapped together as the creature caught up and it warped one of its tentacle like appendages around her legs. It stood over her, in a humanoid form, but its arms split into multiple, wriggling masses like something out of a nightmare. It began to descend upon her, melting into a liquid mass and began to rise up over her body again.

In desperation Raven managed to gain enough focus to draw all kinds of things towards her and fling at the creature. Rocks, stones, sticks, fruit but the more it rose up over her the weaker she could feel her powers becoming as it began to drain her. It was coming up her chest and suddenly she called a stick to her hand to beat at the creature but before a blow could be made the creature writhed as if in agony and pulled itself off and it quickly slithered back into the forest.

Heart pounding Raven sat up, covered in some kind of sticky goo that dripped from her. It shone like oil does on water.

She wondered what had just happened as she stood up and a light caught her attention. It was on the end of the stick she had in her hand, it was a Glow Stone. Raven reached up and touched it, and it instantly turned black. Then from the forest she heard the creature moving. She quickly removed her hand from the stone and it glowed again and the black mass retreated back into the bushes it had started slinking out of.

She could see it over the bushes watching her, waiting for its moment to strike.

Experimentally she held out the stick and pointed it at the creature. It retreated further.

 _So, it doesn't like the Glow Stone,_ Raven thought, and she sat down on a nearby rock gathering her strength. She was safe, for now, so she collected herself and her thoughts.

This stick in her hand was some kind of walking stick and must've belonged to that villager she saw get drained.

Yes, the villager. The villager was dead. She had felt death claim the soul of it. She had never really experienced death. Not like this. Screaming and shouting, fighting for survival as something slowly snuffed out your existence without hesitation. It had been so sudden for the poor creature and it made her feel... 'emotional' just thinking about it.

 _It's just death,_ she tried to reason, _death is a natural part of life_ , _stop getting worked up over it! You didn't even know the thing!_

Raven breathed. She'd also never really been in any real danger before. The Monks of Azarath were never any real threat to her. They were pacifists. She was like a lioness with the Monks her tamers, she could easily turn on and destroy them all if she wished. Living a sheltered life in the temple and with no real enemies she'd always assumed she was pretty indestructible. Whatever the universe could throw at her she could deliver back, ten times over and then some. But the moment she was in real danger her focus faltered, her powers either faded or went haywire and she was left helpless. She might as well be a defenceless girl, she was useless now.

Though there was still a turmoil going on in her mind she eventually achieved focus, despite the fact there was a murderous shadowy mass at the edge of her perception desperate to get at her and murder her.

She tried to make herself rise into the air. But nothing happened. She leapt up and hoped to catch herself but she was dragged down to Terra Firma. Why weren't her powers working?!

 _Okay, I'll walk,_ she decided and reached out for the black void that was the TARDIS. She couldn't sense it. She couldn't sense anything at all! What was wrong with her? What happened?

 _You're frightened, you're emotional,_ a voice in her mind said. _I am not!_ She said back. _Liar._

 _This was all that stupid Doctors' fault,_ another voice in her mind told herself, _if he hadn't walked out of the TARDIS and gotten tangled up in stuff that isn't his business we'd never be in this situation._ But as much as it made her feel better to think this and as much as she'd like to blame the Doctor for this, it was her own fault.

 _If you'd not been so caring about people you don't know you would've floated past that voice, or left the village creature to be bait, and we'd never be in this situation,_ her mind told herself. No, that wasn't it. It was true though, but she denied it. Why? She didn't know. She just didn't want that to be the conclusion for some reason. As her mind settled the truth of the matter hit her. _I... I... I was defeated by my own hubris?_ Her mind concluded and questioned. Yeah, that was it. She'd assumed nothing could harm her, so she'd walked into the jaws of death expecting to walk back out again, and death had snapped its jaws shut and tried to swallow her.

Raven felt normal again, minus her powers. So she began to think out loud to help her concentrate "Okay, the TARDIS is out, unless I stumble upon it somehow. I should make it back to the village and look for the Doctor. If I can find him again."

She set off carrying her Glow Stone stick as protection. She could sense the creature around her, still hunting her, but the Glow Stone made it keep its distance. Why it didn't like the Glow Stone Raven didn't know.

As she walked she realised she was covered from the chest down in some kind of sticky goo. It wasn't foul smelling, it just made her feel icky. Raven hoped this civilisation had invented the shower and she hoped they didn't have any kind of monetary system because she didn't have a single penny.

* * *

As Raven walked through the forest she began to realise how unfit she really was. She'd never needed to run or have regular exercise on Azarath. She spent most of her days meditating to control her powers. The only reason she was so slim is because she needed to eat very little to maintain herself. Why would she need to be physical when her powers did everything for her?

 _Maybe it wouldn't hurt to build up some stamina,_ she reasoned. _So I don't have to rely on my powers all the time._

She held up her free hand and tried to focus and conjure a ball of dark energy. A dark energy ball appeared, but it kept flickering like a flame trying to grip to life, winking in and out of existence. Effectively it was useless.

She saw a glow in the distance and decided to follow it, hoping it would lead her back to the village. Indeed it did, and the creature stopped following her. But she was aware she couldn't cast her cloak of perception over herself. She was fully visible to the entire village and she was quickly realising the reception to her had changed. The people looked at her as if she was unwelcome, and without her powers she felt more vulnerable than usual. She pulled her hood up in an attempt to hide herself.

It could be the oily like black liquid that was staining her cloak but she got the vibe from the people that they saw her as a threat. She got a bad feeling she was about to pay for something she'd done earlier.

Raven rounded a corner and saw a crying child in the distance, holding hands with a bigger version of itself. It pointed at Raven and shouted at her. Raven's face went paler than usual as she realised that was the kid she'd used her powers on to extract information.

"Oh no" Raven mouthed as the bigger creature came towards her.

Raven took small steps back. If she'd had her powers she would've stood still and not felt threatened. But as she was now, helpless, she was... concerned for her own safety. She used the word concerned because she didn't want to use the word 'scared'.

"You! You hurt my child!" the creature shouted at her.

"S-sorry" was all Raven could say to calm the creature, but it looked like 'sorry' wasn't going to be enough for it. Behind it there were others starting to gather and Raven took another step back getting ready to retreat.

"I bet it's all her" someone shouted "I bet she's the reason people are going missing." the mob nodded in agreement.

"She's a demon!" cried another "A monster" said another "Kill it!"

Time to run, and Raven span on her heel and took off as fast as her own legs could carry her. Her heart pounding, trying to supply her muscles with oxygen and power to carry her away from danger, but her body couldn't run forever. These creatures were probably hard workers and maybe hunters, she wasn't going to be able to outrun them. She was in dead trouble.

Raven rounded a corner and into an alley. She felt something grab her hood and pull her back, through a door that slammed shut in front of her. Her assailant clamped a hand over her mouth and held her tightly to itself. She closed her eyes to prepare herself to feel the villagers beating her. But not a single blow came, and the sound of the mob seemed to be fading into the distance as it ran past the door, not through it.

The hand was removed from her face. "Making more friends, are we?" said a familiar voice. She spun around. It was the Doctor! Angry she thumped him on the arm, it wasn't hard and the Doctor barely felt it.

"Hey, what was that for?" he complained. But Raven just stared at him with eyes that showed irritation at him. In reality she was pleased to see him but she didn't want to express it in her body language because the sheer smugness would be unbearable.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

Authors notes: If you've noticed I've given Raven some pre-show character flaws to work on throughout the story.

First her Stamina, I reasoned that Raven would not be very fit stamina wise if she spent her whole life in a Temple meditating. Something that clearly wasn't a factor in Teen Titans.

Second, the concept of death. Living in a temple she'd not be used to death, or at least feeling sudden death and that would affect her negatively when it happened.

Third, keeping calm in stressful situations. The safety of the Temple (and by extension the TARDIS) meant Raven had never experienced the stress of a life or death situation, and she likely wouldn't be able to remain calm under that kind of pressure.

Fourth, arrogance, speaks for itself really.

I remembered there was an episode of Teen Titans where Raven lost her powers before. But I noticed she didn't seem all that upset about it giving how shattering this should be to her. So maybe she's lost her powers before and she's learnt how she can survive without them until they returned.


	12. Chapter 11, Spawn Cycle

**Chapter 11**

 **Spawn Cycle**

The Doctor looked at his hands. They were covered in the same goo that covered Ravens body, transferred when he'd pulled her off the street.

"A bit old to be playing in the swamp, aren't you." the Doctor mocked and giggled like a kid. He looked at her up and down at the state of her clothes. Raven ignored that remark. She was angry. She wasn't having a good day and the last thing she needed was the Doctor lecturing her on something.

As her temper subsided she wanted to speak and tell him about the creature she'd encountered. Her mouth opened, but as she cast her mind back she remembered the feeling of death she had felt as that villager had died.

"What's wrong?" the Doctor asked genuinely concerned.

"Nothing's wrong." Raven said trying to control herself. The Doctors gray eyes looked at her as if staring into her soul. A knowing look came over the Doctors face and he looked at her sadly.

"You've just seen death haven't you?" he asked. Raven wanted to deny it but she just couldn't. "I'm sorry." The Doctor moved to hug her but she stepped away from him, giving him a look which said, _Don't you dare._ She didn't like hugs. They felt 'mushy'.

"Raven, I'm sorry, I really am. I should have warned you, you might encounter that." the Doctor said apologetically. Raven just turned away so the Doctor couldn't read her emotions, like he seems to be able to do, "I assume one of your powers is that of an empath. You're probably a powerful one, and you must've felt it much deeper than usual."

"I'm fine!" Raven insisted, she clenched her fists trying to make the feeling go away. "Do you... do you encounter death often?"

The Doctor sighed deeply. "All the time." he looked sad, "It's one of the failings of my career. I can never save everyone." He sounded really sad and Raven truly felt sorry for him. But he was still irritating.

"You should get cleaned up" the Doctor said, "There are wash facilities upstairs. But I should warn you, they are rather, um... primitive."

Raven didn't care, she just wanted to clean herself up. Before the Doctor had even finished his sentence she was half way up the stairs. She opened the door and looked at the facilities.

"You have got to be kidding me." she said.

The washing facilities were just a large basin filled with cold water. Soap wasn't a thing so she filled the basin from a large tank in the corner. She stripped down and washed herself off. Thankfully most of the sticky goo was on the surface of her clothes, not her skin so she didn't nearly have much of it to wash off.

She stepped out of the basin and dried herself using some furry looking cloth. She felt much better and her mind had settled, so she decided to test her powers. She tried to form a big black ball in front of her fingers. It appeared but still seemed to flicker in and out of existence as if something was still sapping her.

She closed her eyes and attempted to block out all distractions. She pretended this was just another room in the TARDIS and she was surrounded by emptiness and darkness. She said her chimes and the sphere of dark energy came back, it was still flickering but it lasted longer.

There was a knock at the door. "Are you okay in there?"

"I'm fine!" Raven insisted as she tried to concentrate but it was like some demon refused to allow her to let go of her feelings. A demon? Or a bogeyman? Suddenly it came to her, and she had nothing to lose. Closing her eyes she began to sing under her breath.

"Zagreus sits inside your head,

Zagreus lives among the dead,

Zagreus sees you in your bed,

and eats you when you're sleeping."

She personified her emotions as Zagreus. A fictional demon trying to pull at her strings, and she would not allow it to control her!

"Zagreus at the end of days,

Zagreus lies all other ways,

Zagreus comes when times a maze,

and all of history is weeping."

It was the fault of Zagreus. Zagreus was her emotional turmoil, it was Zagreus. She was in control of herself.

"Zagreus taking time a part,

Zagreus fears the hero heart,

Zagreus seeks the final part,

the reward that he is reaping."

She was in control of herself!

"Zagreus sings when all is lost,

Zagreus takes all those he's crossed,

Zagreus wins and all it costs,

the heroes hearts he's keeping."

 _I am in control of myself!_ A thought that thundered in her mind, and everything blocking her was pushed aside as easily as cobwebs.

Her eyes opened and they were shining balls of light. Her power was back. "Azarath metrion zinthos!" she said, building her voice into a crescendo on the word 'zinthos' and suddenly a blast of energy erupted from her core. All the dampness and remaining goo was forced off from her skin and hair, and deep ripples were sent through the psychic ether.

"Raven!" Came the Doctors voice. Being a telepath he probably felt that pulse in his head. "The telepaths of Mettula Orionsis just shrieked for you to turn it down!"

Raven smiled. She was back.

* * *

Now that she had her powers back she used them to blast off all the goo from her clothes the same way she'd done to the Doctor's earlier and slipped them back on. Now coming down the stairs she felt complete again. She didn't like being without her powers she decided. She'd learnt to control her emotions so much throughout her life that feeling them freely without the consequence of her powers going haywire made her feel uncomfortable.

Now at peace she took in where she and the Doctor where hiding.

It looked like an abandoned house. It was primitive. Spears were set to one side. Cooking and food prep utensils on another. A slab of wood had blood on it, presumably where they prepared their meat. There were very basic chairs and there was a fire place looking object with a pot over where a fire would go.

The Doctor was sat crossed legged in front of this fire place. He had a Glow Stone in his hand and the Doctor just stared at it as if he was in a trance. Raven went up to him and waved her hand in front of his eyes.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm trying to tell if these stones have any form of latent telepathy" the Doctor said, his eyes not moving from the stone.

"Right," the Doctor announced and he quickly got up and rounded on her. "Now, tell me all about that creature."

"What creature?" Raven asked.

"You were running from villagers." the Doctor counted off his fingers "You weren't using your powers to escape. You were clearly distressed."

"I was not." Raven insisted in a low voice.

"You were covered in a saliva like slime, you had clearly seen death. We've theorised that the 'well device' was to contain something, and possibly that something has gotten out. Therefore, I deduce you encountered it and had a really bad time of it. So please, tell me about the creature."

The Doctor could be very irritating when he was right, Raven thought.

After Raven had told the Doctor everything she knew about the creature he seemed to be pondering what to do next.

"We should probably move" Raven said, charging her powers to teleport them, "the owners of this dwelling will be back shortly."

"I don't think so." The Doctor said, "This place was owned by one of the villagers who went missing. I came here looking for clues."

"So you broke in?" Raven asked letting her powers settle.

"Breaking had nothing to do with it." the Doctor said and held up his Sonic Screwdriver "The ultimate lock pick."

"And you didn't use it to open your cell door earlier, because?" Raven questioned.

"Design flaw" the Doctor said, "the Sonic Screwdriver only works on electronic or tumbler based locks, and the cell door was bolted from the other side."

The Doctor was looking at his Glow Stone again.

"So, this creature appears to like to feed off of peoples life force. Draining them dry. I wonder where it came from." he said touching his Sonic Screwdriver to his lips again as he thought. "Clearly these villagers didn't build the well, so it was made before them by a much more advanced civilisation. Presumably to contain this dark creature that, for the time present we shall just call a Shayde. Presumably the settlers here didn't know what they had stumbled upon, assumed it was a well, and cracked it open, and since they thought the well was dry they didn't bother replacing the lid. Leaving the containment system broken."

"That's when it escaped." Raven said, she was aware she was joining in but only because she had a beef to settle with this 'Shayde' creature.

"No. It would still be surrounded by Glow Stones at the base." the Doctor said as he paced "I think what happened is something new got introduced to the containment system. Say... a young villager, who was pushed or dared to go into the well by his fellows. That action could've provided enough disruption for our Shayde friend to break its bonds and eventually escape after it had digested the child's life force; and presumably, when it finally emerged it was weak and it waited, possibly for years, to gather strength; and it had adopted some of the child's rage and anger towards his fellows. That's why he went for his 'school chums' first, they were the source of his anguish and the Shayde imprinted on it."

The Doctor had a way of making a scary kind of sense of the situation. Scary to others, not herself, obviously.

"But now its vendetta is complete." the Doctor said.

"So it's over. We can leave." Raven stated.

"No, we can't leave it to roam this planet forever, gobbling up any stray people it comes across like they were jelly babies. No, we need to stop it." the Doctor said.

"Why?" she asked.

"Don't give me that attitude again, please, Raven. It's not part of this ecosystem. It could cause havoc with this planets future development." the Doctor turned on Raven "that life you felt drain away. It could just be one of thousands, maybe millions if we can't stop this thing." Raven didn't want to think of it. She'd just gotten her powers back, she didn't want them vanishing again.

Suddenly the Doctors face slowly morphed into a mask of concern.

"Oh no." he said "I forgot about the presence still in the well."

"So, what? The child who fell in is still alive?" Raven asked.

"I only wish that could be the case" the Doctor said, he was getting paler and that caused Raven to get colder. She got the feeling if the Doctor was scared, so should she.

"The reason it was sealed in the well." the Doctor said "Was not just to contain it, but it's spawn cycle."

"You mean?" Raven asked, she couldn't help it. She could feel herself getting sucked into the Doctors game.

"Yes. What you fought was likely an infant Shayde." he said. "There are probably others, and still more to come."

"I really hate kids" Raven said.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

Authors notes: There always has to be something the Doctor doesn't realise that makes the situation a million times worse. lol

I've just discovered that the FanFictionNet mobile app has built in software to read the story. Which last night helped me to correct a lot of spelling and grammar errors I failed to notice in this story and others. So in the coming few hours I'll be editing this chapter specifically to take into account any problems I find. So please, bear with me.


	13. Chapter 12, I don't fear the Monsters

**Authors notes:** A reviewer said the Doctor was a bit too nicey-nicey. Well, you ain't seen nothing yet. ;)

I've spent a lot of thought on how this chapter ends. So I hope everyone likes it.

As I post this, I've noticed that the story has 666 views. Given what Raven is supposed to be I don't know if that's a good or a bad omen. lol

* * *

 **Chapter 12**

 **I don't fear the Monsters.**

The Doctor was sat in thought on the floor having emptied his pockets, which carried quite a lot of things. His Sonic Screwdriver, a ball of string, a bag of jelly babies, several devices she had no hope of understanding the use of. Several books, a piece of wire, a box of drawing-pins, a deck of cards. She barely had time to list all the things before he began pocketing them again, except for one book called 'Inter-galactic monsters, and what to do about them. By Ford Prefect.'

He quickly flipped through the book at lightning speed before pocketing it again. Surely the Doctor hadn't just read that entire book?

"This creature is a new life form" the Doctor concluded, "Like how life began on your planet in the sea by the formation and gradual combination of amino acids over billions of years, this creature formed presumably in a similar way but in a different medium. Some kind of self assembling molecule similar to DNA, and like DNA it's evolving. It's learning and it could be gaining reasoning powers." the Doctor snapped his fingers "And for some reason it doesn't like those glowing rocks. Something about the light hurts it." the Doctor thought, "A type of radiation that damages its structure the same way your DNA doesn't care for Alpha, Beta and Theta radiation."

"Isn't that a leap?" Raven questioned.

"When you travel around as much as I do you realise that science tends to form patterns." the Doctor pocketed the book, "but don't take that idea to heart. Some people like to see patterns in things that aren't there."

"And what if 'you' are seeing a pattern in something that isn't there?" she questioned.

The Doctor paused and looked at her as if such an idea were impossible, and said "Well, then I shall simply admit I was mistaken." A sensible response, Raven decided, _why do I get the feeling he never does._

The Doctor walked past her one arm across his chest propping the other arm up as it rested against his chin as he thought.

"The Shaydes are a danger to these people." he reasoned, "They want to be on top of the food chain like Morlocks." Raven didn't understand the reference. "But there is a way to defeat and contain them again. We trick or force them back into the well, or make our own containment system." He checked his pocket watch, "Which we don't have enough time I fear, so the well it is."

"Now, this is the tricky bit." the Doctor said, "We need to convince the locals to help us."

Raven remained silent.

"You're supposed to ask 'how do we do that, Doctor?'"

"This is going to be something silly, isn't it?" Raven guessed.

"Don't knock it, it's worked before."

* * *

Raven now sat at the top of a building opposite the square. The Doctors plan was to pretend to be a good wizard from the Northern Tribes, and he was hunting a great evil. But to impress the locals the Doctor needed to show off some powers, powers he didn't have.

"That's where you come in" he had said, "I'll shout out what I'm going to do, and you make it happen."

"Wouldn't it be simpler if I'm there doing it?" Raven asked.

"You've upset these people enough already with your brain drain; Yes, I worked out what you did and I'm very disappointed." the Doctor said. Like she cared. "You have the diplomatic nature of a Cyberman." Raven felt a twinge because the Doctor was right, but having it pointed out to her did stir up her emotions a little. "What these people need is a little theatre."

"And I need my head examined for going through with this." Raven said.

"That's the spirit" the Doctor said, hearing but ignoring her comment, and now here they were. Raven up on the roof tops ready to make the Doctor look good with 'her' powers.

He stood on a platform in the middle of the square and called out.

"Ladies, Gentleman, or gentle-beings." they never did find out if they were a binary species or not. "I am the great and good wizard Qui-Quy-Quad!"

"What?!" Raven exclaimed out loud. What idiot had dreamt that name up? _You're probably looking at him,_ she thought. A small part of her wanted to laugh, but it stayed down where it belonged.

"I am from the Northern Tribes. I have travelled far, seeking a great evil. Now is the eve of its evil plot. But I cannot defeat this creature by myself. To save your town I require your aid." A crowd had gathered and there were the usual murmurings of disbelief. "Perhaps you wish me to show a demonstration of my power." and the Doctor held up his hand and that was Raven's cue.

She saw a vase of flowers in the bedroom of a nearby house. Using her powers she teleported them from the bedroom and into the Doctors hand. The crowd were impressed, and the Doctor handed them down to a person in his audience. Raven couldn't help but express her displeasure with this plan by instantly causing the flowers to wilt and die after they were out of the Doctors hands.

"Oh, I do beg your pardon" the Doctor said, and shot Raven a look which said 'Stop it, you're not helping!'

"Now, perhaps something more impressive," and the Doctor began waving his hands around in front of him. Raven was tempted to just let him stand there and make a fool of himself, but she blew air out of her lungs in a big sigh. _Try to be nice_ , she told herself, and she said her chimes and drew on her power. A ball of magical energy formed near the Doctors hands. The crowd was impressed. The Doctor spread his hands wide and the dark energy formed into a spinning disk. Raven ignored the way the Doctor moved his hands, he was doing it all wrong, you can't control dark energy like that, he'd blast his face off. Of course, Raven did it properly, trying to make it appear the Doctor was in control, not her. She should've taught him some of the hand gestures because she could see him as the fraud he was. _There's one hand gesture I'd like to give him,_ she thought.

The Doctor flicked his arms up and Raven pulled the black energy into the air. Shrugging, she decided to get creative and let the energy explode out in a loud expression of colour and energy before forcing all the colours to re-combine into a black sphere near the Doctor. He reached out to grab the ball and Raven let the energy collapse. It looked like the Doctor had grabbed the ball, held it in his hands and as he opened his long fingers to show it was gone.

Raven lent forwards in her sitting position and rested her face in her right hand. What a waste of her powers. The people were impressed though. _Too easily impressed by that fraud,_ she thought. She guessed it didn't matter if she could see through it, as long as the locals believed it. Wait, was she actually feeling jealous of the praise he was getting? _No, I'm not!_ She thought, _yes you are._ "Shut up!" Raven grumbled.

As more people gathered, the Doctor again launched into a speech about the danger they were in. He demonstrated some more of 'his powers' for good measure and instructed those who couldn't help to return to their homes and stay. Any wishing to aid him needed to gather as many of the Glow Stones as possible and meet him at the well to fight this evil.

Raven yawned at the speech, but it seemed to have an effect on the locals. Like a magic spell in itself, their attitude shifted and they were ready to help the man who not so long ago they had pelted with fruit.

A villager in finer clothes approached the Doctor. She guessed this was their chief. He challenged the Doctor, and Raven was tempted to use her powers to seal this guys mouth closed. But the Doctor moved to face her direction with the intention of addressing the crowd, he did, but he also shot Raven a look which said to her, 'Raven, don't you dare!' So she didn't. But the chief advanced, ready with a stick to attack the Doctor. Raven, however, was quicker and sealed the Doctor in a bubble of dark energy so the chiefs attacks never even reached him. After that display, the chief seemed satisfied that the Doctor was the genuine article and agreed to help.

 _That was surprisingly easy._ Raven thought. She waited until the right moment where she could meet the Doctor and speak to him. She had to admit his performance had the desired effect and she never expected it to work in a million years. At least, not on her, but she guessed the universe didn't think or act like her. It was pathetic.

When she finally got a moment alone with the Doctor, Raven had cast another shield of perception over herself so the locals ignored her.

"What did you think?" The Doctor asked in a low voice. "Heroic? A touch over the top, maybe?"

"You looked ridiculous." she said.

"It worked once in Devils End, I banked on it working again." the Doctor smiled at Ravens irritated look. "Now, to set a trap. The Shaydes feed off psychic energy, they're drawn to it like moths to a flame. That's why it chased you."

"How did you work that out?" Raven asked.

"Because to drain someones literal life force you feed off of their psychic powers, no matter how small they may be. But since its lasted so long in the well without a psychic boost, I guess it doesn't really need it. It's like a tasty treat the creatures like. It's like kit-kats or crunchy bars to them. We can use that against them and that means, we need a strong source of psychic energy to use as bait." and the Doctor was looking at Raven, and slowly she understood what that look meant.

"No." Raven said "You're not using me as bait."

"You'll be fine," the Doctor said "I promise." the Doctor took her right hand and looped his small finger of his right hand around the small finger of her own right hand. "This is one of your Earth customs to show a promise, right?"

Raven pulled away and crossed her arms over her chest. "There is no way I'm letting you use me as bait!"

* * *

 _How did I let the Doctor talk me into being bait?_ Raven sighed angrily. _Because I am a sucker._

She was standing near the well. The moon was high above her and was nearly shining directly down the well.

The villagers had been busy gathering their own Glow Stones to put in a circle around the well, each circle was unbroken, each rock connecting perfectly to the other, and each Raven was interacting with on a psychic level so they stayed black. The plan was to lead the Shayde creatures into the outer circle, and once each circle was activated from outer to inner the Shaydes would retreat away and hopefully go down the well and Raven would do the rest.

That's the plan as the Doctor put it. But first Raven had to become a beacon of psychic energy. That she was already being by projecting her cloak of perception around her. All they had to do was wait, and hope the Shayde creatures appeared. To help this they took down most of the Glow Stone lanterns in the village, dropping it into almost pitch dark. All the villagers and even the Doctor retreated into hiding. It didn't take long for a Shayde to sniff Raven out and it came directly for her.

It looked like it was cautious at first, sensing a trap; but it slithered in over the inactive stones and it reared up ready to swallow Raven up again. She raised herself up into the air so she was out of its reach, and its reach was pretty long.

Then came another, and another, and another. She could sense them becoming active and they were coming for her. Ten, no Twelve. She could only sense twelve. Twelve that now snapped at her dangling feet. _I am not afraid,_ she said to herself, _I am not afraid of them._ Her previous encounter still fresh in her mind. If her powers failed now, she was dead. She waited an extra minute in case any more showed up. But it looked like this was all of them.

"NOW!" The Doctor cried and Raven relinquished her concentration on the first circle of stones and they activated. The Shaydes felt pain as they dragged the rest of themselves inside the first Glow Stone circle. Raven, however, could pass beyond the circle no problems leaving the things sealed inside. They tried to jump over the stones, but they hesitated before the actual jump the stones affecting them. She activated the second set of stones and the creatures were herded into the next smaller circle. The small circle within then activated and so on as the Shaydes were forced into the only place they could go. Down the well.

Raven gathered the outer stones up with her power and moved them over the rim of the well, and she fused them together making a ring that narrowed the opening. She did the same with the rest of the stone circles, as each ring was added the opening they could escape through became narrower, and narrower. All the stones turned black as Raven used her powers to pick them up, but reclaimed their shine when Raven released them. They almost had a solid dome of Glow Stones, soon this evil will be sealed away again. But there was a problem. They were a stone short, there was still a hole in the dome, and the Shaydes were reaching out just enough that they could possibly begin to slither back out again like a leak from a dam.

There wasn't another stone on the floor, and if she didn't act fast the creatures would get out and the village would be doomed. Her mind went back to that villager she saw die, and what went through the poor souls head as it fought for its life. Raven imagined that happening a million times over, across the planet.

That she would not allow!

So Raven did the next best thing. Since they couldn't contain them, she decided it best if they were destroyed. They were just monsters after all.

With the moon at her back she used her powers and altered the refractive index of the air in a space above her just enough so that the moon's beams were focused right down into the hole in the well. Like a magnifying glass with sunlight, she focused the light of the moon, like a kid would to burn ants. The Shaydes were screaming and their life force was leaving them. _Good_ , Raven thought, _revenge for all those you murdered. This feels... good?! Why is my vision coloured red?_

"Raven!" the Doctor cried "No, RAVEN, RAVEN, RAVEN! NO!" but it was too late. She was already committed and no matter how the Doctor screamed she was focused on doing it, ending them. The Doctor had reached up and dragged her down to the ground by her ankles, took her by the shoulders. "STOP!" he screamed and shook her in desperation. "Raven! Stop it, Stop it!" that broke her concentration and her powers snapped off. She realised she had been smiling, a broad smile by the feel of it. What she had done had felt just so good to her.

The beam stopped and the air fell still. The rocks over the deep well collapsed and the interior of the well glowed brightly. The Shaydes had been destroyed.

Raven felt strangely good about herself. She had helped save this planet from the hunger of a beast that would enslave them like cattle. Under her cold exterior, she felt a little glow of pride as the villagers cheered. But the vice-like grip of the Doctors hands on her arms told her something was wrong.

She looked at the Doctor and he looked into her eyes in utter disbelief, or was it horror? What was wrong with him? They'd won. She'd just helped save the planet. The 'evil demon daughter of Trigon' had saved people, not hurt them. Isn't that what he wanted her to do? He gently let her go and stepped away from her. In his hands was another Glow Stone. One she hadn't seen nor sensed. A final one to plug the hole, the lack of which forced her to go all the way with the Shaydes extermination. The Doctor had found one, but just too late to stop her.

As the villagers cheered and what looked like a party was about to erupt in the town Raven felt uncomfortable with the festivities and wanted to leave.

"Can we go now, Doctor?" she asked. But when she looked around the Doctor was already gone. Slinking away down a back alley. He looked... she didn't know what he looked like, but it wasn't like the Doctor.

Raven caught up with the Time Lord as he reached the TARDIS. He was clearly deeply upset by something. She had never seen the Doctor upset before and she searched her brain in case it was anything she had done. _We've done nothing, the Doctor is just an emotional fool,_ her mind told her. Raven set herself down as the Doctor tried to insert the TARDIS key, and Raven removed the block she'd placed on it so the TARDIS doors would open.

Raven didn't like this change in the Doctors character. She didn't know why it bothered her, but she teleported herself in front of the Doctor to prevent him entering the TARDIS and was going to force him to explain himself. "Okay, what's wrong with you?" Raven said bluntly.

The Doctor was not phased and he looked at her with wary, disapproving eyes. She wasn't sure, but she thought she could see him fighting back some anger. Before she could utter another word the Doctor took her roughly by the left arm and forced her into the TARDIS like a disappointed parent would their child.

"Hey, what's with you?" she protested as the door shut on them both. The light on top of the TARDIS began to flash on and off as a wheeze and a groan echoed from the Police Box and it slowly faded out of reality.

* * *

The Time Rotor of the TARDIS console wheezed and groaned as it rose and fell.

Raven was happily back in her reading position, hood over her head, digesting her books, and drinking her teas. She should be happy, or content at least. But the problem that drew her out of the TARDIS in the first place still persisted. The Doctor was there, but his usual antics were missing. He operated the TARDIS silently like a moody child who had just been told off.

Raven tried to ignore it. The Doctor was safe and back with her, and back at the controls of their TARDIS. But still it irritated her that he was giving her the silent treatment. _Why won't he hum anymore? I like his humming._ Went a stray thought in Raven's head. Why was this bothering her? She didn't care what he thought of her. Did she? Of course she didn't. He didn't matter.

After a couple of hours of this silent treatment, where she had barely read a single page of her book she finally snapped it shut and slammed it onto the table next to her. She marched up to the console and finally spoke to the Doctor.

"What?!" she said aggressively. The Doctor didn't move, he just looked up at her, and his playful, childish eyes had a darkness to them that made Raven take a step back from her aggressive position.

"What's wrong with you?" Raven asked trying a calmer approach. "We've just saved an entire planet. Why are you giving me this silent treatment? Not that I care. But why?!"

The Doctor sighed moodily, his demeanour, his eyes. To Raven it was like looking in a mirror, and it scared her. But his demeanour softened a little as he spoke, though it still had an edge to it.

"You've just committed genocide." the Doctor said flatly.

"What?" Raven asked.

"Those creatures were new in the whole Universe. Never before seen, the first of their kind." the Doctor explained. "They were all like new born children, they didn't understand their place in the Universe."

"And it was going to multiply and feast off of the inhabitants of that planet!" Raven shot back.

"But they were weak, once they were in the well they were weak!" the Doctor insisted, his tone was sombre and fiercely serious. "I planned to contain them and take them somewhere where they could live out their lives in peace. They didn't need psychic energy to survive. That was something they fooled themselves into thinking." the Doctor explained. "They could survive on any barren rock happily and forever."

Raven adopted a defiant stance which said clearly that she thought she made the right call. "Until one escapes whatever prison you put it in and causes more death. It's better they're destroyed."

"You don't believe that." the Doctor stated looking Raven dead in the eye, "Please, please, please, tell me you feel just a little regret at wiping out a species that relatively had just been birthed?"

"They were monsters." Raven shot back.

"Raven, you can't go around exterminating whole life forms just to protect others." the Doctor said.

"Isn't that what you do?" Raven shot back. She'd learnt enough about the Doctor to know that he must be indirectly involved in murder on some level. How different was that to what she just did?

"I always shy away from genocide!" the Doctor said, his head low staring at the floor, he gripped the edges of the TARDIS console as if he was trying to hold something back. "Do you know what unsettled me? As you did it. As you wiped those creatures out, you had a look of utter ecstasy on your face. Your face doesn't 'do' ecstasy, Raven, it never has. It can't even crack a convincing smile, it can barely handle 'amused' before it considers that even too much of a stretch for your face to adopt; and yet murder makes you happy?"

"It wasn't the killing that made me happy!" _Yes, it was,_ her mind told her. _That's not helping me!_ She told it. She was already starting to feel wretched for being happy about killing, but she was killing evil. Surely it was 'that', that made her happy. Not killing in general.

"That's how it all starts" the Doctor said looking deeply into her eyes, "You destroy one species for the greater good. But it's not the only time. More times like it come, and you find yourself wiping out another species, and another, and another, all for a greater good you promise yourself, and then one day you wake up and realise that you are just as much a monster as they were, and the greater good you promised yourself? That never arrives."

Raven actually felt her blood run cold at the seriousness of those words. What had the Doctor done for him to learn that lesson? Who or what had he destroyed?

"You know, I once held the future of my greatest enemies in my hands. The most evil creatures that had ever been invented. All I had to do was just touch two wires together and their existence would be wiped from the face of reality."

"Why didn't you?" Raven guessed he hadn't. But she asked as if that is what the Doctor should have done without question.

"Because I didn't have the right to do it. To end them for all time; because I'd become no better than them; because I knew out of their evil came such great good. Future worlds, civil wars between different races ended, alliances formed just because of their fear of these creatures. Sometimes I wonder if I made the right call back then, perhaps things would be better, or maybe I cause something worse. But I know I'd be standing here right now asking that very same question if I did connect those wires. But am I confident I made the right choice? Yes, and I've spent all my lives after it upholding that choice." The Doctor sighed before trying to explain it another way. "If you knew the future and you saw a child you'd know would grow up totally evil. To be a ruthless dictator who'd destroy millions of lives. Could you then kill that child?"

Raven opened her mouth, but she hesitated. Would she? Would she be capable? "Yes, if it kills the evil, yes I would!" she forced herself to say. That's what people expected of monsters isn't it?

"You're lying to yourself again, I can tell." the Doctor said. "But what concerns me is you might actually force yourself to do it, for some promise to yourself of 'a greater good' that you'll never achieve." He was letting his emotions get the better of him, Raven knew it. Where was his Zagreus rhyme now? What a hypocrite.

"You know, we had the opportunity to kill you" the Doctor said, "That's why the Time Lords were called in on Azarath. We had the power to destroy you and it'd be beyond Trigons power to stop us. Raven, please don't make me regret saving you."

That did it, Raven flared up. She refused to be guilt tripped so easily. "Maybe you shouldn't have!" she shouted, "it would've been better if you had destroyed me from the start! Then your Shayde monsters would still be alive!" she'd had enough of the Doctors mood, his disappointment in her. He wasn't her father, he had no right to be disappointed in her. "Do you think I wanted to be born this way? To a demon wanting to destroy the world? To have powers I can't control? You had no right to make a call on my life!"

"No, and that's exactly why we didn't kill you!" the Doctor said. Despite being soft spoken he had such thunder to his voice that Raven fell silent, "Because you couldn't control how you were born, who or what you were born as. You came into this world with the draw of the lottery, and we didn't punish an innocent and ignorant child just because it had the 'wrong characteristics'. That is why we stayed our hand; that is why we let you live! You don't have to play the part of the monster."

Raven fought back her emotions, they were becoming wild, and out of control. Her eyes began to glow white as she approached the Doctor intending to intimidate him into shutting up, like she'd do to the other children on Azarath. The Doctor will know his place.

"Don't patronise me, Time Lord! I did what I believed was right." she didn't raise her voice, she remained totally emotionless, but there where moments where her voice cracked betraying what was underneath. "Those creatures were evil. Nasty. A danger. The universe is a better place with that species extinct." With her cloak closed, her body elongated itself so she stood a full head over the Doctor. She bent forward over him. Her teeth became sharp and her eyes glowed a vivid scarlet as she forced him to look up into them. It was a creepy display and her voice became unearthly and threatening. "Look at me, take a good long look at me, Time Lord! I am a monster! If you don't like it, then maybe you should have destroyed me!"

"YES, MAYBE WE SHOULD HAVE!" the Doctor shouted back. His voice was so loud and full of anger Raven found herself retreating away from him, her form shrank back down to its normal size and shape. She hadn't expected that response, and... she... she was... scared... she was scared of him?! She was actually scared of him. He carried on, his voice like stone.

"Touch two wires together, it would've been that simple. But I refused to become like them, and because of that I've had to witness the devastation those creatures now delight in. The genocides they have caused, and I feel responsible because of the call I made."

The Doctor was advancing on her, how could one so gentle contain such fury?! "I can't change that now, I can't change my decision." he said "but I continued on, upholding the principle of that decision and others like it, that everything deserves a chance at redemption, a second chance; and then here I come, in one face or another, and I knock it back or cut it down when it goes too far and becomes evil, twisted and destructive. Daleks, Cybermen, Ice Warriors, Sontarans, the Human race." He paused, his eyes became cold, "And even you!"

Was he threatening her?! Raven backed herself towards the edge of the platform the console stood on. She lost her footing at the edge and fell backwards onto the rug below, her hood fell back revealing her face, and she was now crawling backwards on her elbows as the Doctor advanced towards her. The candles in the room had all been blown out as power had escaped Raven as she fell. Plunging the console room into darkness, except for the blue glow of the console.

Towering over her, the Doctor looked like a man possessed. This wasn't the same man she knew as the Doctor, she'd never suspected there was this darker side to him. The blue, back lighting made him all the more intimidating. She'd morphed herself into a monster, the Doctor hadn't flinched, and now here she was, scared of an alien mortal.

She tried to charge her powers and do something, anything. Raise up a defensive shield, to teleport him to another dimension, to forcibly pacify him, turn him to stone, freeze him, shrink him, maybe even choke him, rip out his hearts, pluck out his eyes, something; anything, to make him go away! But her powers were failing again, she was helpless.

 _Zagreus sits inside your head, Zagreus lives among the dead_ , she tried to recite, but the Doctors voice and piercing eyes snapped her attention back to him.

"Do you want to know why I don't fear you? Raven, Daughter of Trigon? Why I'm not scared? Do you want to learn the secret?" Her back was up against the bookcase and she wished she could disappear through it. Her eyes were wide as the Doctor stood over her, looking down in fury as she cowered. She wanted him to turn back into her Doctor; all smiles, cute, fluffy, infuriating optimism and irritating humour. Despite how much she disliked him, she'd gladly take him over this shadowy, darker version of him that is so full of fury and who now was baring down on her.

"I do not fear you, self proclaimed 'monster'," He said, his eyes drilling into her soul, "because I am the Doctor, and monsters always learn to fear me!"

He was right. She was terrified of him.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** That's it for now, this is as far as I got in the planning stages. I would like to do more of this story idea, but I'll need to come up with other ways, ideas and plots for Raven's personality to be further shaped to what we see at the start of Teen Titans. But first things first. Raven will have to earn the Doctors trust back somehow.

I wanted there to be some kind of a rift forming between the two and I thought that Raven giving into her darkness with good intentions might have been something to make the Doctor turn on her.

The point of the Doctor at the end is he's trying to teach her to break away from her darker side. The delusion she has that she's a monster and should act like one, and he's trying to break this by providing a bit of 'tough love' since reasoning didn't seem to phase her.

From what I understand of Raven she has a dark side she has trouble controlling, and I thought it'd be interesting if that dark side won this one time by making the action of genocide feel so right and good. Which tends to be a core philosophy of Doctor Who. If you do terrible things for good intentions you're still just as bad as someone who does the same thing for horrible intentions.

I'm kind of proud the way I've written the debate between the two. I tried my best however to not make the Doctor look like he was whinging, but standing like a pillar of cold stone.


	14. Bk 3 Chapter 13, the Time Lords' search

**Authors Notes:** I actually have a direction for this story now and an end goal and with a few plot twists I hope people will enjoy.

[13/11/18] Re-wrote the last few bits because I realised I repeated something I explained in a previous chapter.

[19/05/19] Added Raven and Star Fires interaction.

Cheers

-TimeLordParadox

* * *

 **BOOK 3**

 **TINY TERRORS**

Plot:

When the Doctor is attacked by an unknown force, Raven has to take the Doctor to a hospital ship for him to recover. But while he is undergoing treatment the ship is attacked by one of the Doctor's deadly enemies. With the Doctor comatose Raven has to do everything she can to fight off these creatures, though weirdly she is still able to get aid and advice from the Doctor.

How can Raven, with her poor social skills, convince the captain to trust her and save as many people as possible from a fate worse than death?

* * *

 **Chapter 13**

 **The Time Lords' Search.**

Star Fire was gob-smacked.

"I am so sorry for you, Friend Raven!" She said.

"What for?"

"I thought the Doctor was nice. Always nice. I didn't know he could be so scary, even to you." Star Fire was just overflowing with sympathy for Raven. But Raven just rolled her eyes.

"Star, I deserved it. All of it. I had killed a new species. I..." she hesitated, but she could trust Star Fire to not think of her as weak for this. "I thought what I did was good. I thought it was a good deed. That it would please people." She stopped. She didn't want to admit it, but at the time she was motivated to show that she could be a good person. That she wasn't totally evil. So it was a slap in the face when the Doctor told her she'd done something bad. "What I did... it wasn't evil, exactly. But it should've been a very last resort, only." She paused. "And I shouldn't have gleefully enjoyed doing it, at all."

Raven sighed. She was younger and less experienced with life. She was still beholden to silly concepts like Good and Evil that she'd later realise weren't as clear cut as she had been taught. She wasn't totally convinced she was much wiser now, but she always desired to be better. But not out of desperation for peoples admiration. That she couldn't care less for. But out of a need to uphold her principles. She accepted not everyone would agree with her. But she'd learnt from the Doctor that sometimes in the act of doing 'Good' you can become so heavy handed as to just cause more Evil.

"I admit our relationship had soured." Raven spoke, "I honestly thought the Doctor hated me, and I hated him for hating me. But I hadn't done enough for him to cast me out and abandon me, and soon I'd have another chance to prove myself." She laughed a little throaty laugh.

Star Fire lent forwards, totally enthralled again.

 _I've never talked so much in the whole of my life_. Raven thought. _It feels... good._

Subconsciously, Raven waved her hand across her face when she heard the buzzing of a fly near her ear. She hated flies, somehow they always managed to get into the tower.

* * *

It had been a few days since Raven and the Doctor had last spoken. After he'd finished not a word escaped Ravens mouth. He simply said sternly, "Go to your room" and she had obeyed without another word. No one had ever spoken to her like that. Azar was always level headed and calm. Her mother was mostly loving but never raised her voice. Some of the other Monks on Azarath had tried to speak to her like that but she always gave them an attitude or a taste of her powers. But the Doctor? She didn't mind admitting to herself that he actually frightened her just as much as her own father did.

And he'd sent her to her room! She has the powers of a God and a Time Lord mortal had just sent her to her room? And she'd obeyed?!

Something in the way the Doctor had spoken to her as they debated gave her the sense that if he truly wanted to, he could destroy her, and she'd be powerless to prevent it, nor see it coming. But though his eyes showed fury they also betrayed a deep sadness that Raven didn't understand.

She sat in her room, now in total pitch darkness and tried to make sense of these mixed emotions she was feeling that swirled around in her head. Her powers had returned and they were out of control as she let the storm in her head manifest through them.

Her possessions, or those the TARDIS had used to decorate her room, now flew freely around her. Some just floating, others zooming around like they had somewhere to be. A couple of objects had already been blasted to atoms by her powers as an emotion ran wild and escaped through her powers. But she didn't care. She couldn't control herself, and it hardly mattered since weirdly her powers were unable to reach beyond this small room. She was safely contained in here.

She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. She was angry, Angry because the Doctor had not listened to her at all, he had just dismissed her like she was just a child and sent her to her room like one. _He did listen,_ her mind said, _he just didn't agree with you, and it's the fact he dared to disagree with you that's making you angry._ This thought didn't help Ravens mood. " _Who's side are you on?"_ She asked her brain, but it didn't reply.

She remembered that she had morphed her form into the most intimidating and creepy thing that usually frightened the children of Azarath, and most adults too. But the Doctor had just looked at her like a kid having a tantrum and didn't react. It made her angry, but it also frightened her.

It frightened her and she didn't know why. It wasn't because she took the Doctors threats of being able to end her seriously, because she found that she did. But it was just... she couldn't explain it in so many words. She had a kind of respect for the Doctor and what he did despite her dislike of his almost preachy nature. For some reason there was a part of her that wanted his favour and feared losing it forever. Almost like he was Azar, or even her mother. Still it didn't make sense to her. How could she admire someone she barely knows, dislikes and finds irritating?

Sometimes she felt like she didn't even know her own mind.

As she meditated she began to contemplate the Doctors words and the more she thought about them, the more she began to understand them in ways she didn't before.

Like his Greatest Enemies the Doctor had made a call on her life, a gamble. He had convinced both the Azarathian council and the Time Lord High Council to let her live despite the dangers. He'd given her a chance and wanted at least for her to turn out 'good'.

But Raven guessed her actions, the fact that she had laughed with ecstasy as she wiped the Shaydes from existence -an emotion she couldn't even remember feeling at all- gave the Doctor a call to pause for thought, and wonder if Raven was capable of truly being good.

Raven wondered if she herself thought that if the Doctor lost faith in her ability to be good then she was doomed to become her father.

"I'm not evil" she told the darkness around her, and she sensed a chalice object floating somewhere in the darkness explode into atoms at her outburst. "I'm not evil! I'm not!" more objects exploded, others twisted into horrific shapes as the power escaped with her tantrum. "I'm not! I won't! I won't! I don't want to be evil!" She shouted. But the silence of the darkness would not reply to her. It didn't care, the darkness didn't care, the nothing she talked to didn't care.

She lowered her face into her hands. No, she would not cry.

 _Could you kill a child?_ A voice in her head asked her. _A child you know will grow up evil?_

"I..." her voice cracked as she considered and reconsidered "I don't know" she told the darkness.

* * *

Raven hovered at the entrance to the console room and waited for the Doctor to go out so she could get to the library.

She didn't want to face the Doctor just yet. But by the look of him he was back to his old self. His coat was draped over the console and he rushed around the console in his shirt sleeves talking to himself. Wondering where the TARDIS should go next, what they were going to see? He rambled off wanting to play a game called Ludo with some guy called Jor-El.

The Doctor was back to normal, but Raven knew if she went in there she'd spoil that positive energy in there. She'd just drain it all away with her presence like a 'dementor' in that book series she was reading about a magical school. She didn't want that, to drain away the positive energy. She was more content to just observe it, and mentally let it wash over her from a distance.

It sounded like the TARDIS was landing, but the Time Rotor still moved after the noise had ended. Instead someone had appeared in the TARDIS, a man in fine robes of a scarlet, velvet material and a big golden head dress and collar. It was a Time Lord! And a more official one at that. What was another Time Lord doing here?

"What?" the Doctor exclaimed "What are you doing here, Turlock?" his voice didn't sound inviting to this person.

"Doctor, I Turlock of the Celestial Intervention Agency..." the Time Lord began.

"Spare me the introductions, Turlock, and kindly tell me why you're trespassing in my home?"

"I believe you were in the Azarathian Dimension some months back." The Time Lord said.

"Yes, paying my respects to an old friend. What of it?" the Doctor asked and appeared to be trying to keep the console between Turlock and himself. Clearly the Doctor disliked this person.

"The 'Trigon Handshake' has gone missing." the Time Lord said.

 _The Trigon what?_ Raven thought.

"She has a name you know." the Doctor said. "And what do you mean she's gone missing? How do you lose a powerful psychic like that?"

Ravens mouth dropped when she heard this. The Doctor was bluffing to his superiors, and for her, the monster. After all she'd done that he found disagreeable and he was protecting her still. The Time Lord too also seemed taken aback by that question. Clearly he suspected something.

"Since the Death of the Azarathian, Azar, she appears to have gone missing." The Time Lord explained, "And we can't find her Time Trace."

"And what? The Time Lords want me to track her down. To bring her in?" the Doctor said, acting like he didn't know what the Time Lord was saying. "I'm rather busy at the moment. I about to mop the floors of the Cloister Room."

"Actually we just wanted to ask you if you've seen her." the Time Lord said looking around the TARDIS as if he was disgusted by its appearance "Our Time Trace of her vanishes the moment your TARDIS last left Azarath."

"What? You think she's on board?" the Doctor looked around.

"Or used your TARDIS to escape and jumped off somewhere." the Time Lord suggested.

"Don't talk rubbish. If she was here I'd have sensed her instantly." the Doctor said "There would be a log of her breaching the ship."

"Unless you know she was already here." Turlock accused. The two were now circling the TARDIS console like two dangerous creatures sizing each other up.

"Are you suggesting I'm harbouring her?" the Doctor asked, never taking his eyes off Turlock.

"You advocated most strongly in defence of her existence." Turlock said.

"That was then, four regenerations ago, and just because I advocated for someones existence doesn't mean I want them hanging around my TARDIS. You think I want Daleks in here as well? Don't be so silly." the Doctor assured him. "For the past few decades I've been travelling alone. I am used to solitude, the last thing I want is some explosive teen cluttering my TARDIS."

"You speak from experience?" Turlock asked, trying to trap the Doctor.

"You know what happened." the Doctor said, his jaw twitched.

"Yes, yes, very tragic." Turlock said "You took it quite badly didn't you?"

The Doctor just looked at him, trying to stare him down.

"Do you mind if I search your TARDIS?" the Time Lord asked.

"Do you have a warrant?" the Doctor shot back.

"I could get one." the Time Lord fired back.

"You'd just be wasting your time." the Doctor said.

"Doctor, if you do have her in your possession it would be better if you handed her over." the Time Lord said.

"Even if I did have her, and I don't. I wouldn't hand her over to you regardless." the Doctor seemed to be discretely hitting switches on the console while Turlock was on the other side. "The incident with the Arc of Infinity is still fresh in my mind. Remember that? Do you plan to do the same to Raven?"

"None of your concern" Turlock said trying to stare the Doctor down, "if we find out she's knowingly in your possession, and you refuse to give her up. The price for you, Doctor, shall be very high, indeed."

"Oh yes, your threats usually are" the Doctor said adopting a mocking tone "'We, the self appointed bores in funny hats and collars that make walking through doors a chore, hereby give you a slap on the wrists because you are probably the most efficient, 'unofficial' agent we have and we'd be shooting ourselves in the foot if we ever disposed of you for good, and we'd be too scared of what you could do if we ever crossed a line.'"

"Don't overestimate your usefulness" Turlock warned sternly. "Or your power."

"Stop relying on me to solve your problems as if you don't have power, and I wouldn't have this 'ego problem'." the Doctor fired back.

Raven found this interaction entertaining as the Doctor stood up to his betters, but not with threats, or physical violence, but with debate and verbal mockery instead. Some of what he said, especially about those silly Time Lord collars managed to raise a smile from her.

"If you're done with your empty threats." the Doctor said, "Might I invite you to get off my TARDIS. Or must I put the proverbial boot up you?"

"Just keep an eye out for the 'Trigon Handshake'" Turlock said, why did he call her that? What is a 'handshake'? "You know how dangerous she is."

The Doctor looked like he wanted to say something, but bit his tongue before coming out with. "Wherever she is, I hope you never find her."

"If we don't, then not even the Time Lords will be able to stop that Trigon creature any more than we could stop, Omega." the Time Lord insisted.

"Yes, yes" the Doctor said, waving his hand dismissively "and I'm sure when that happens you'll call multiple incarnations of me together again and we'll defeat this Trigon creature for you before tea time." and he motioned towards the doors "Now, will you kindly leave the TARDIS?"

"We'll be in touch," the Time Lord said, and with the sound of a TARDIS taking off he'd vanished again.

"I hate personal 'Time Ring' technology" the Doctor said. He checked the console. "Good, he's actually gone, and not hanging around." He then began operating dials and switches again. "Let's put some distance between us and him, old girl, before he comes back with a warrant." The Doctor pulled on a lever marked 'brake' and the Time Rotor stopped. He typed some new instructions into the console and the Time Rotor fired up again.

"Raven, dangerous? Pah!" the Doctor scoffed. The TARDIS bleeped at him. "She's no more dangerous than a hammer." the TARDIS made a groaning noise. "A hammer can be used to build or used to inflict pain. If we viewed the hammer by the same standards they see Raven, then all hammers would be recalled and destroyed.

"If the Time Lords ever found her do you know what they'd do to her? Matter Dispersal!; and I wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing I allowed her to be dragged into that chamber. Knowing the Time Lords they'll want me in for the front row seat of her trial and execution. I won't let them put that poor girl through that barbaric execution, or that boring and laborious process. I barely escaped it by the skin of my teeth last time."

He continued on with his one sided conversation with the console. Raven didn't know if the TARDIS could answer him back, or if he's just mad and talks to himself. "Raven was born to do a single act of evil regardless of her will. She was not born to be evil. I know she doesn't believe it, but she is nothing like her father, and I'm going to make her realise that." The console seemed to give a reply. "Because I am the Doctor, and whatever the odds, no matter how hopeless the situation I never, ever, ever, ever give up!" He said with the same conviction as when he'd said, 'Monsters learn to fear me.'

He was still protecting her? Did the Doctor care about her? That can't be right. No one cares about her! That's what she believes... or does she? She was so confused now. She groaned, she wished she understood emotions.

Raven felt like something was trying to click in head, but she just couldn't make the leap.

Did he love her? Actually love her? No, she didn't mean in a romantic kind of way she knew that wasn't the case. But what about in a parental kind of way. Part of her told her to immediately and aggressively push him away before he gets too attached. Raven needed no parental figure, the time for that was long gone.

She imagined her heart was like the TARDIS shell. Impossible to break into and she wasn't about to open it up for some strange vagabond Time Lord to take a vacant seat within. She won't allow anyone else in.

Raven was about to walk away when she noticed that there were two books at her feet, propping open the smaller door that lead into the depths of the TARDIS.

She put down the books she was going to exchange and picked up the ones on the floor.

'The Alice Compendium, by Lewis Carroll', and 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson'. She took both and replaced them with the books she had been carrying.

She glanced back at the Doctor one last time, then opened the Alice Compendium and began to read as she walked back to her room. Not once did she consciously question why the books were there to start with, though some part of her suspected who it was.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** Of course the Time Lords would want to destroy Raven if she is a threat to the universe and their power. No matter how indirectly.

Raven's thoughts about her heart being impregnable also stretches to relationships and friendships, so don't go reading too much into that. ;)

The Arc of Infinity was a 5th Doctor story where the Time Lords nearly executed the Doctor for similar reasons they want to destroy Raven for. I'm thinking of exploring it in a future chapter.


	15. Chapter 14, the Brink of Disaster

**Authors notes** : Now that I've got a over arcing story and plot I hope to get things moving.

This chapter contains elements that were originally in the Chapter called 'Bigger on the Inside'. But I thought they worked better here, at this stage in the story. The other chapter has been adjusted to reflect this change and I've re-named it for that reason. Though a lot of it is similar I have also made a lot of changes. Cutting out stuff that isn't needed anymore, trimming the fat and adding in new stuff to add an air of mystery to stuff I originally presented to her in full.

Enjoy

* * *

 **Chapter 14**

 **The Brink of Disaster**

Since she thought they were on such bad terms, Raven had avoided the Doctor and began exploring the TARDIS again. She came across another console room, this one smaller than the main one and the white one. It seemed to be made of wooden, oak panels with roundels and stained glass windows. A similar and simpler console sat in the middle but was no bigger than a desk draw and it had no Time Rotor. How many control rooms could a single TARDIS need?

She opened a door and thought she'd stepped outside. There was a meadow that stretched out far beyond the eye could see. She could hear birds chirping and light shone brightly from above despite there being no sun. The door she appeared in seemed to be set into a cliff face.

She saw what looked like a cloud of yellow floating around and circling the skies. Then it dived down and headed straight for her! Raven slammed the door before they could get out, or get her. Taking a step back from the door she bumped into the opposite wall. What was that yellow cloud? There was something on her hand. Small and delicate, and with bright yellow wings. It was a butterfly. It sat on her finger as if this creature wasn't scared of her. She harshly blew it off her finger and watched it flutter away and back under the door.

She looked at the book she was carrying. 'The Alice Compendium, by Lewis Caroll.' a strange book of utter nonsense that she was irritated by and nearly didn't finish. But it kind of felt like that's what her life had become right now. Only she wasn't following a white rabbit down a hole.

The next chamber is one she'd found before. It was large and with no ceiling, It was like a cathedral, only through the windows was blackness and stars. In the centre was a platform with a big stone dome in it and four cast iron staffs around it. Around the place there were also collections of autumn coloured leaves, but where they came from she couldn't tell because there wasn't a tree in this room.

She had learnt this place was called 'the Cloister Room' and was apparently according to the manual was where the TARDIS drew all it's power from. Raven didn't know what the manual was talking about. She couldn't feel any power. In fact this place felt more like a void than anywhere else within the TARDIS.

She looked at the stone platform and to the stone dome. It looked like it could split open like an eye would.

The staffs around this dome had swirling patterns on it and at the top there appeared to be the head of a bearded man. A man who looked 'infinitely sad and eternally wise'

 _That was an oddly specific thing to think._ Raven thought.

She didn't know why, but she was compelled to touch the 'reflector staff' -that she somehow knew it was called. She closed her eyes and reached out with her power.

There was something she could sense. Something big, yet small; dark, but powerful; cold, yet so hot. It was like a dark orb no bigger than a bowling ball, and yet a bright star larger than anything she'd ever sensed before.

She was so distracted that she barely registered the low dull tolls of a large and ancient bell sound around her. A dull yet sharp tone that sounded every few seconds and gave the impression of impending doom. But her attention was still focused on what she was sensing.

She couldn't help herself. Experimentally she mentally prodded these spheres.

Raven was blasted off her feet and off the platform. Luckily a bed of browning autumn leaves cushioned her fall. As her mind flooded back to reality the dull tones of the bell came ringing into her head.

She looked at the stone platform. Nothing had changed. So she hadn't broken anything.

The Alice Compendium lay across the platform, along with another book she was sure she'd never seen before. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

Something was happening as the entire structure of the TARDIS shuddered. What had she just done?

Raven bounded for the console room leaving those books behind. When she entered the console room it was in utter chaos. The Doctors reading chair and footstool were thrown up with the lamp smashed. All the books had fallen from the shelves and the plants in the green house had all but withered and died. The collection of clocks in one alcove had their hands spinning wildly, all at different speeds, and some went backwards.

 _What have I done?_ She asked and turned to look for the Doctor. But he was in a heap on the floor.

"Doctor?" she asked calmly approaching him gingerly, and when he didn't answer she shouted louder. "Doctor?!" still no answer. She knelt next to him, she didn't know what to do. "Doctor, wake up! What happened to you?" But she somehow guessed this was her fault.

She felt his pulse, it was slow. Was it too slow for a Time Lord? She pressed her ear to his chest and listened for his hearts. Time Lords had two, one on each side, and they were slow and getting slower. She placed her hand on his forehead and she snapped her hand back. He was so cold, it was almost burning her and ice was forming on his forehead. She could sense that his life force was fading.

Raven activated her powers and reached out to heal the Doctors broken body. But most of the injuries were superficial. The Doctor wasn't waking up. His life force was still failing.

She found something odd as she scanned the Doctor with her power. A cluster of nerves at the base of his skull were still very active. She prodded them experimentally with her powers, and a great deal of energy began to be released. She quickly stopped and forced it all back to where it came from. That was close. She thought she'd almost caused the Doctor to regenerate.

Raven thought quickly of what else could be affecting the Doctor? Was it a poison of some sort?! The rumble in the background dissipated as the TARDIS began to settle from whatever disaster Raven had caused and the bell stopped tolling.

Raven quickly looked around, she needed a crystal. She knew a spell to extract poisons but it needed a good crystal to drain all of the toxins into. She knew she'd seen one in the Doctors toolbox next to the console. Diving into it and throwing out half the alien looking tools she pulled out a crystal which was called a Xyton VII power cell. It was perfect.

She placed the tip of it to the Doctors forehead and began to chant a string of spells and watched as the purple gem turned black as all kind of toxins were removed. From deadly poisons to just pure caffeine and everything in between. But still the Doctor didn't budge. His life still ebbed away from her as she held him.

She didn't know what was happening. She needed to get to a hospital. Or some kind of place that knew about Time Lord biology.

 _But the Doctor was trying to protect me from the Time Lords._ Her mind reminded her. She took a deep breath and said her reply out loud. "I didn't ask for the Doctors protection. If the Time Lords want me, I shall face them."

Raven turned to the console but hesitated. She didn't know how to fly the machine. Every time she tried to read the manual it always sounded like mumbo-jumbo to her.

Her hands hovered over the controls, unsure which switch to activate. The TARDIS was in motion sure, but he hadn't set any destination as far as she was aware. She looked up to the sky and shouted "Come on, help me. I don't know how to fly you!" But the TARDIS remained silent. How could the Doctor understand this machine?

She looked back at the Doctor, her mind suddenly rationalising. _Surely, he'll just regenerate and sit up in a new form._ But as she watched, his life force just seemed to be draining away. Could Time Lords die without regenerating? Perhaps she should trigger one? But there was no guarantee he'd wake up, and from what she knew of Time Lord society, causing a regeneration was just as bad as committing murder. She cursed herself for not learning more about Time Lords and their weird biology.

She decided that she couldn't take the chance that he wouldn't regenerate. She'll have to do something.

"Okay. Okay" she said leaning against the console forcing herself to remain calm. "The only person who knows how to fly the TARDIS is the Doctor, right?"

She looked down upon him as an idea occurred to her. Brain drain. She'll connect to the Doctors mind and use it just long enough to extract knowledge about how to fly the TARDIS.

She knelt at the Doctors head and lifted him up so his shoulders were resting across her bent knees, his head resting against her stomach. She placed her hands against his temples and she connected with his mind and dived right in.

She had never seen such a muddled place before. It was like a trick painting of perception Like the never ending staircase or the hall of stairs which lead everywhere but nowhere. It was confusing. She shut her eyes and waited for the jumble to make some kind of weird sense. Eventually their minds ran in sync with each other and everything resolved into a large dark chamber. A bell echoed in the Doctors mind. Raven felt unnerved because it was like the bell that tolls for death. It also sounded like that bell from the TARDIS that was ringing a moment ago.

Raven knew she was intruding into the Doctors personal space, so she was just going to find the instructions to fly the TARDIS and get a destination to head to, and get out.

As she looked something crossed her mind. It was an emotion, a deep well of sadness and depression, suffering and loneliness. But it wasn't hers. A very lonely childhood. She saw a young boy being constantly teased and bullied by the others, a boy who threw himself into his studies because he was so lonely. A boy with dreams and fantasies, a boy who escaped the citadel on Gallifrey into the wilderness to pretend to have adventures. Making enemies out of rocks, dead trees and even a dead lizard, projecting his insecurities into child like imaginings of being a hero. All to make himself feel valued. Only to go back to the citadel, be berated by his teachers, scoffed at by his fellow students, ridiculed and made an example of. A boy who only had one, true friend in the whole world but even then that friend had betrayed him to the wolves. Trust didn't come easy, and he grew to be as stubborn and harsh as stone.

This was deeply personal stuff and Raven didn't want to look at it, but it seemed to come at her hard and fast. Like something was stirring a pot inside the Doctors head, mixing everything together and kicking up stuff that he'd long since let sink to the bottom of his brain. She turned around and the image around her shifted. Darkness, but voices echoed from the depths. This was clearly one memory he'd buried, even from himself.

"Pay attention!" said a stern voice.

"Umm... Yes, master Borusa?"said a boy who sounded like he'd just awoken from a day dream.

"What did I just say? Repeat it to me boy." the boy sounded like he was hesitating. "What were we discussing?"

"Umm... Temporal Navigation?" the boy guessed.

"Of course we're discussing that. What aspect of it?"

"Umm..."the boy trailed off. The room was then filled with the laughter of many children.

"Oh, really now!" Borusa said, "You're a bright young boy, but you're wasting your potential day dreaming all day. You need to learn how to focus on your studies."

"Yes, Master Borusa" the boy said sadly, "I'm sorry sir."

"You know our responsibility," Borusa continued to scold, "Our powers are too great for the universe. We must observe and catalogue, never interfere. You must respect that if you wish to ascend and become a Time Lord."

"Yes, sir. I'm sorry sir. It is just a stupid dream." The boy said sadly. "A Time Lords power is too great to unleash on to the universe." He sounded like he was quoting someone else, but didn't believe it himself.

"Oh, what are we going to do with you?"

Raven stepped away and again the image shifted, this one coming into focus though the edges were blurred. She was now standing over a bed in a barn somewhere, it was night,it was cold and a young boy was hiding under the covers crying his eyes out. Raven didn't like this, it was painful and she could feel it, all of it. The emotions were too much and she stepped past it into the darkness again leaving that trauma behind.

Raven felt cold again.

"Zagreus sits inside your head,"

"Zagreus lives among the dead,"

"Zagreus sees you in your bed,"

"and eats you when you're sleeping."

She recited, hoping it'd work keeping the Doctors emotions at bay as well as her own.

Susan, Ian, Barbara, Vicki, Steven, Katarina, Sarah Kingdom Dodo, Ben, Polly, Jamie, Victoria, Zoe, Jo, Sarah, Leela, Romana, Adric, Tegan, Nyssa, Turlough, Peri, Mel, Ace. There were other names but they came too fast for her to catch. The Doctor liked his own company, he was used to it. But paradoxically he didn't like to be alone.

Katarina, Sarah Kingdom, Adric. Companions he couldn't save and were now lost forever. The pain that went with their loss still rang all these years later. She caught a faint memory of the fifth Doctor at the controls of the TARDIS, watching helplessly at the scanner as Adric, his companion. Stuck on a falling Space Ship desperately trying to save the world, the Doctor desperately trying to land the TARDIS to rescue him, and the shell shocked horror on his face when the ship crashed into the planet, killing the boy.

Thana Faleen. Who was that? There was something there and Raven was actually curious enough to want to see it. But it was too murky to see clearly. As if the memory was too painful so he'd buried it rather than face it.

Boldly she pushed past them all.

"You have broken our most important law of none interference" said a voice as another image materialised.

A short man with a bowl like hair cut and over sized coat stood confronting the Time Lords of Gallifrey. The Time Lords were dressed in basic robes, and this looked like a trial setting. Raven looked at this Doctor. He looked comical and he was only a little taller than she was but behind his clownish exterior his eyes burnt with a vast intelligence.

"I not only admit it, I am proud of it." the man, the Doctor said defiantly. "While you are content to just observe the evil in the galaxy, I have been fighting against it."

"It is not 'we' who are on trial here, Doctor, it is you." the Time Lords said.

"No, no, of course, you're above criticism aren't you." the Doctor said sarcastically.

"We have decided. You will return to Earth in the 20th century, in exile." said the Time Lords.

"In exile?" the Doctor echoed. "You can't condemn me to one primitive planet, in one century in time!" he cried as if this was the worst thing they could do to him "But I am well known on the Earth, it might be awkward for me."

"Your appearance has changed before, it will change again. That is part of the sentence."

"You can't just change what I look like, without consulting me!" the man cried but the Time Lords took no notice. Raven watched as they effectively murdered him, unfairly killing the Doctor, and she felt every emotion he felt as this aspect of the Doctor effectively and metaphorically 'died'. He cried out in protest as his form changed from a short, bowl hair cut, scruffy man into a taller man, much fitter and with curly white hair and still wearing the old Doctors clothes.

Raven stepped away. This is not what she needed to see. She had been inside her own mind before but it was never this treacherous or complicated. It was difficult to watch these memories she was seeing. Was this truly the Doctors past? One of loneliness and exile? It wasn't like how she imagined. She assumed he was born into some kind of prosperity. That he was well loved. She never imagined that he too truly was an exile to his own people.

"Zagreus at the end of days,"

"Zagreus lies all other ways,"

"Zagreus comes when times a maze,"

"And all of history is weeping."

She recited.

"Is that fear I sense in your mind?" said a gleeful, female voice, "You are not accustomed to feeling frightened are you, Doctor? You are very wise to be afraid of me."

Now flashes of the Doctor, now regally dressed in a frilled shirt and smoking jacket was dumped on Earth and joined an organisation called U.N.I.T. to defend the Earth against aggressive extra-terrestrials. All the while desperate to escape, to repair his broken TARDIS and leave the planet Earth. Something he eventually succeeded, but he always hesitated in cutting all ties to the place. Until his Fourth incarnation, the scarf Doctor grew sick of them all, resigned his position at U.N.I.T. and threw himself and the TARDIS back into the maelstrom of time and space.

"Evil?!" said a maliciously evil voice, "Your 'evil' is my 'good'. I am Sutekh the destroyer, wherever I tread I leave nothing but dust and darkness. I find that 'Good'" it said in relish.

Now the Doctor, in his fourth incarnation, an incarnation Raven recognised. The scarf wearing Doctor. He was in a chamber of stone facing a man in black robes and a mask who was sitting atop a stone throne. This man radiated evil and power. Raven looked at the Doctor and could taste the fear in his mind as he faced this creature. A creature she was sensing was almost as powerful as her Father Trigon.

"Sutekh..." The Doctor whispered, "Last of the Osirans."

The creature turned to the Doctor, fury was emanating through the mask. Its eyes glowed green and the Doctor collapsed to the floor in great pain, clutching his head. Raven clutched her head too. She could feel the pain. It was like strong hands were trying to crush her head, she cried in pain. She wanted it to stop, she'd give anything for it to stop. Suddenly it did.

"No, you will not die yet." Sutekh said, "Identify yourself." Raven could feel herself shuddering, she felt fear. Fear like she'd feel in the presence of her father.

"Just destroy me, Sutekh." The Doctor said, preparing himself for the end. "There is nothing else within your power."

"Identify yourself!" The Doctor refused. "It is within my power to choose the manner of your death. I could keep you alive for centuries wrapped by the most excruciating pain. Since your interference has condemned me forever to the Eye of Horus, it would be a fitting end. You'd make an amusing diversion." And Sutekh demonstrated his power on the Doctor, he screeched in pain. Raven collapsed to the floor feeling it too. Raven wanted to help and use her powers but they were useless against what was just a memory. "Now, identify yourself, plaything of Sutekh." The power lifted and Raven got to her feet. She wanted to step away before the next attack came, but she found she couldn't. She was stuck in this memory.

"I'm a traveller." The Doctor admitted.

"From where?" Sutekh asked.

"Gallifrey, constellation of Kasterborous."

"You are a Time Lord!" Sutekh realised.

"I renounced the society of Time Lords." The Doctor admitted.

"You travel in time and space?" The Doctor refused to answer, so Sutekh used his powers on him again. Raven tried to prepare herself but the pain was so great. _Please, just tell him!_

"Yes, yes!" He cried.

"What are you called, Time Lord?"

"I'm the Doctor."

"I offer you an alliance, Doctor. Serve me and an empire shall be yours." Raven looked to the Doctor. Would he be tempted by that offer? He looked disgusted. Raven instantly had her guard up and prepared to feel pain.

"Serve you, Sutekh?" The Doctor spat, "Your name is abominated in every civilised world. Whether that name be Sutekh, Satan, Saddos..."

"Serve me, Doctor!" the monster commanded.

"NEVER!" He cried. Sutekhs powers came, more sharply. This time the pressure came and it was more intense than anything Raven had felt before!

"You pit your puny will against mine?!" The robed creature laughed. "Kneel!"

Raven found herself doing that, she couldn't take the pain.

"NO!" the Doctor screamed. Raven collapsed to the floor looking up at Sutekh, standing tall and imposing like she expected her father to look. But so too stood the Doctor. Clutching his head in defiance.

"Kneel!" Sutekh commanded. "Kneel, before the might of Sutekh."

The Doctor fell to his knees, not in submission, but purely in pain. As he clutched his head Raven saw his eyes. They were alive, boiling with utter defiance.

"In my presence you are but an ant!" Sutekh laughed, "A termite. Abase yourself you grovelling insect." The evil creature chuckled. But the Doctor refused to give up easily.

Raven curled up on the floor, just wishing the pain would end, but still the Doctor stood in defiance. Even though his body was crumbling under the pressure his mind, brain and spirit refused to give up without a fight. How could he take this? It was agony! In her mind she'd already given up, she'd serve Sutekh if he just stopped. But looking at the Doctor, it just filled her with an equal amount of defiance. If he could resist why couldn't she?

Before she could attempt to prove herself however, the vision vanished and the pressure was released.

Raven took some time to compose herself as she got to her feet.

"Zagreus taking time apart,"

"Zagreus fears the hero heart,"

"Zagreus seeks the final part,"

"the reward that he is reaping."

Through the mists she heard a voice say to the Doctor gleefully. "There is darkness in all of us Doctor, even you." his voice was very velvety and something gave this voice a name. 'The Master.' "The Valeyard is..." the Master began to say but mysteriously the voice cut off.

The Valeyard? Where had she heard that name before?

Raven closed her eyes and forced herself past the memory. She had a job to do, all these were but distractions. But a smooth voice she knew belonged to the Valeyard echoed within her.

"You cannot escape me, Doctor. I know your destiny." the Valeyard laughed, "resist me all you want. The Web of Time demands, and what the Web demands must come to pass."

"NO, NO, I deny it!" said a shouty Doctor with an almost operatic voice, his image passed in front of her. A tall man with a mop of curly blonde hair. What was he wearing? It made her angry just looking at it. "I DENY YOU!"

The Valeyard laughed "My dear Doctor, you cannot."

Raven then felt a surge of emotions. Denial, Anger, Bargaining and Depression that seemed to just keep going in a cycle. She thought she was somehow reading her own mind again. But no, this was the Doctors mind and he was feeling these emotions. Whatever this Valeyard was it put him in a much more hopeless position than Raven could comprehend as she'd spent decades wondering, thinking, denying, bargaining and getting nowhere.

Who was this Valeyard? Who was he to the Doctor? And why did the Doctor hate him so? She wanted to find out but like with this 'Thana Faleen' stuff it was so murky it disappeared. The Doctor was very good at hiding what he didn't want to see, even from himself. She wished she could do that.

"Zagreus sings when all is lost,"

"Zagreus takes all those he's crossed,"

"Zagreus wins, and all it costs,"

"The heroes hearts he's keeping."

Raven pressed on through this storm. She caught other memories, other traumas. They were all out of chronological order but she tried to blank them out and advance on. The death of the Silurians. Hesitating at destroying the Daleks. All the people he failed to save from the Cybermen.

Through the storm she caught glimpses of the Doctor operating the TARDIS, but it was always a different console. She needed to see her Doctor flying the current TARDIS.

"Zagreus seeks the heroes ship"

"Zagreus needs the Web to rip"

"Zagreus sucks Time a drip."

"and life aside, he's sweeping."

That was a new verse in the rhyme. Where had that come from? She hadn't said it.

Finally she stumbled into a memory she could understand. The Doctor, the previous Doctor to hers, fighting to control the TARDIS. Here, in this memory she found a 'metaphor', a representation of what she was looking for. The TARDIS manual was open on the console, except the manual would be in a disused room propping up a coat hanger at this time, not in the console room. Plus the Doctor never needed it. The book was in full English and with grammar she understood.

She took the book and she felt something begin to download into her mind. She closed her eyes and carried the book back. Out of this storm. She waved her hands around trying to cut through the mist.

"Zagreus is my secret name,"

"Zagreus is the one to blame,"

"Zagreus is the Time Lords' shame,"

"The beast that I've been keeping."

She also got a vision. A name. No, not a name. A code, a set of programmable coordinates.

These things were being shoved into her brain somehow. But where from she didn't know. She reached out, trying to find an exit to the Doctors brain, it would be in some form of metaphor, a door marked EXIT would help. She couldn't just pull out of a mind, she didn't know what damage she might cause if she did.

Something was swirling in the mist. Something big, black and with a very dark aura. She tried to ignore it and move on. Nothing could really hurt her in here after all.

That was until her fingers caught something thin and slimy. It felt like it shocked her hand and when it did her finger muscles went into spasm and clamped down over it tightly and the thing continued to shock her. It felt like a million volts went up her arm and crashed into her head and she was forced from the Doctors mind. She fell back as if she'd been thrown across the console room by the force.

Her mind felt like it had been scrambled. Her eyes were firmly shut as she stood up and leaned against the console. She opened her eyes and caught her reflection in the Time Rotor.

She shrieked, "I'm a girl!" because she was expecting to see a different face and body. She shook her head. "Of course, I'm a girl! I've always been a girl!" She took a deep breath as her mind re-orientated itself, sorting out what was hers, and what was a left over mental copy from the Doctors mind.

Something had forced her from his mind, so along with the TARDIS instructions she'd also pulled a copy of a lot of other junk out with it. She mentally compartmentalised all of it. It wasn't permanent. Whatever she'd accidentally pulled out would vanish soon. She was more worried about whatever damage she might have caused the Doctor.

Raven could feel the knowledge draining from her brain already. She had to be quick.

"Okay, okay" she said. Her hands didn't fly over the console like the Doctors because though she now knew what to do, she didn't also extract the muscle memory to do it quickly. "Activate Thermal buffer." she said. As she did each action the knowledge of each stage began to leave her. "Set helmic-regulator to ten points." _No, minus ten points!_ She caught herself. If she'd put it to ten she'd blow up the TARDIS. "In put coordinates" and into a pad next to her she typed in a set of coordinates, and adjusted the time and clock settings.

The year 21,963. November 23rd, 5:15 pm, humanian era. Why it needed to be so precise she didn't know.

Something was wrong. The Time Rotor stopped with the sound of a spring snapping. They hadn't landed, it had just stopped. What was she supposed to do now?

She got one instruction. _Whack the console_. That couldn't be right, but there were no other instructions left. The TARDIS should be moving. _Whack the console_. It said again. Come on, come on, give me something useful. _JUST WHACK THE STUPID CONSOLE!_ The thought exploded in her mind.

Raven raised her hand and brought it down on the console at the base of the Time Rotor. Nothing. No wait, the Rotor jumped and began moving up and down freely. _Stupid paint, its always jamming things up._ Said a stray voice in her head.

 _Zagreus waits at the end of the world,_

 _For Zagreus, is the end of the world._

 _Zagreus allows space to unfurl,_

 _And his moment, is time's undoing._

Then it faded, all of it, it was all gone. The instructions to fly the TARDIS, the stray advice on what to do. All if it. She was as ignorant about this machine as she was to start with. But it was taking her somewhere and that's what she wanted.

She looked back at the Doctor. Her stolen knowledge may be gone. But what she had seen in the depths of his mind, that remained. She understood the Doctor a little bit better now. He was more complex than she imagined. He'd lived seven, full lives, felt and experienced so much. Such joy, pleasures, passions, and positivity. There were darker moments but they were so far in his past he just didn't dwell on them anymore. His personality was just so much bigger on the inside. In some of the other stray thoughts and images, the things she'd seen the Doctor capable of. The battles he'd won. She now understood why monsters wisely feared the Doctor.

They were only in flight a few minutes before the TARDIS landed. Raven activated the scanner but the screen just showed the words 'Scanner Malfunction. Do you wish to compile and send an error report?'

Trusting that the machine had brought them somewhere safe she lifted the Doctor up using her powers to aid her and she put his arm around her shoulder. She activated the door control and dragged the dying Time Lord out of the TARDIS and hopefully to help.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** [EDITS] Changed the mystery girl from Ace Dorathy McShane to a new character I've invented. Thana Faleen, who will make an appearance in a later chapter.


	16. Chapter 15, Hospital Visit

**Chapter 15**

 **Hospital Visit**

Raven heard the heart monitor bleeping. It was bleeping twice as fast as a heart monitor should as it read off the Doctors double heart rhythm.

"He seems stable" said Dr. Wood, an elderly man with slicked back black hair that looked like it was greying and a full, bushy beard. "You say he's a telepath?"

"A Time Lord" Raven corrected.

"Ah, psychic shock maybe." Dr. Wood said and placed a strange object over the Doctors cranium and switched it on. Then consulted the pad in his hand. "Yes, definitely some kind of psychic shock, or mental attack, and to protect himself his mind shut down."

"Can you fix him?" Raven asked, concern in her voice.

"Sure we can." Dr. Wood said. "But it might take a few days. It's like muscle cramp. The brain has to be persuaded to relax by itself. If we try to force it, it might be dangerous for the patient."

Dr. Wood then moved to the next bed to deal with another patient. A woman with her young baby boy.

Raven looked at the Doctor as he lay peacefully. His coat was on a hanger by the bed, he was in his shirt sleeves and his shirt and waistcoat had been undone so the doctors could examine him. In the window by the Doctors bed wisps of blue, green and white sped past. This was apparently hyperspace that the Hospital ship was travelling through.

Everyone had seemed surprised that even a Gallifreyan Time Capsule could land here so precisely while the ship was in hyperspace. That's why those coordinates and time settings she'd gotten from the Doctors mind had been so precise, down to the last milli-second. They needed to land on a ship that was moving so fast that it would be in the right place only for a split second. Raven guessed that the Doctor had been here before and knew exactly where and when to land. Yet strangely no one here knew who the Doctor was, nor knew of any Gallifreyan visitors to the ship. It wasn't an important question so she let it drop.

She was lucky that out of all the pointless places Raven had pulled from the Doctors mind she got the one that was an actual hospital ship, and with the exact time and place to land within.

As soon as she'd stumbled from the TARDIS with the Doctor and called for help staff arrived immediately to help the Doctor. As they rushed him away a strange little grey creature had asked her questions. Like his name, age, whether he's allergic to anything. Stuff like that. But since she didn't know those answers exactly the creature looked irritated at the vague answers she could only give.

After all that, and it turned out the Doctor had been psychically attacked.

She wondered if it had anything to do with her. After all, she had dived into the Doctors brain. Or was it a different attack, and if so what had attacked him? Was it the Time Lords? Or something else?

Either way, the Doctor was recovering. _I prefer him to stay like this, it's more peaceful._ Her mind said. She was getting a little annoyed at these darker thoughts now.

"Oh dear," the woman across from her with the baby said, "Is your father going to be okay?"

Raven's face twitched, but she kept her emotions in check. "He's not my father."

"Oh, boyfriend, then?" the woman suggested.

"God no!" Raven said quickly, rolling her eyes. Why did everyone from Earth always assume romantic involvement?

"Uncle?" the nosy woman said. Sighing, Raven just nodded rather than listen to her.

"Yes. He's my uncle." she said, trying to communicate her disinterest in talking, but the woman yammered on regardless.

"Oh dear. Psychic shock, did the doctor say?" the woman asked.

"Yes" Raven replied.

"Ay, did you say you were both Time Lords?" she asked.

Raven sighed and shrugged "Yeah, why not."

"Ooh, then I won't pry into your matters" the woman said.

"That would be appreciated." Raven replied.

The baby in her arms started to cry and the woman thankfully gave it some attention. Bouncing it up and down on her knee.

"Oh, my aren't you a little attention seeker today." and the baby giggled at the attention. She turned to Raven again. "You got kids?"

"I hate kids." Raven said bluntly, hoping that would stop all discussion between them. Raven didn't care if the woman thought she was horrible. Raven didn't know her and she's hardly likely to see her again. But amazingly the woman didn't seem phased.

"Oh, you know, I used to say exactly the same thing about young Corentin here." The woman said. Raven wished she had a pair of ear plugs. "He was a right terror when he were first born." Forget ear plugs, she'd settle for knitting needles in her ears. "But a woman always has an intuition when it comes to babies and, oh..."

Raven had got up, pulled her hood over her face and walked out determined to get some peace. She walked down to reception. The TARDIS was parked there, all she had to do was get inside it and wait for the Doctor to recover.

However, when she arrived in reception, the white hall was missing that certain tall blue Police Box shape. Panic rising in her mind at losing her home and shelter she walked quickly to the reception desk.

She tried to push to the front of a line to find out where the TARDIS had gone. But a bunch of aggressive aliens forced her out and made her go to the back of the line. She could activate her powers and get her own way, it would be so easy, and as the creatures shouted at her, her eyes had begun to glow white. But they looked intimidated and shrank back from her.

Sighing she told herself. _Try to be nice._ And walked to the back of the line. She was standing there for hours until the line went down. This was irritating. She was waiting for what felt like hours just to get information that would take reception a couple of minutes to tell her. She really got irritated when the person just in front of her just kept asking more, and more, and more questions of the receptionist. She so wanted to push this person away but she kept in control of herself.

When finally at reception Raven asked the robot receptionist where the TARDIS was. After a little clarification that she meant the 'Gallifreyan Time Capsule' it mentioned they had it transported down to the shuttle bay.

Raven descended to it using the lift. She opted not to use her powers because this ship was apparently travelling at super light speeds. At this speed if she tried to teleport then there was no guarantee when she arrived the hospital ship would be where she wanted to be. She could come out in deep space and be stuck there to die.

Upon arriving she had quickly found the TARDIS by its void signature. But it was being loaded into a small shuttle craft by some unsightly looking characters all the way in the corner of the bay were security was lighter.

She didn't know if they were stealing the TARDIS or loading it by mistake. But she would sort it out and get it back.

"HEY!" Raven shouted when she approached, "Where are you taking that?"

One of the crew, a slimy looking creature, straddled up to her like he was in charge. He was easily twice her height.

"Hey, hey, little missy." He said towering over her. "What's a girly like you doing in a place like this?"

"Retrieving my property," Raven said looking at the TARDIS as it was half in, half out of the shuttle. "That is my home."

"Oh, so you're a Time Lord, are ya?" He asked. She got the sense that the crew were going to become nasty as they gathered around her. "Well, see a ship like that is worth a lot of credits. Bigger on the inside dimensional technology, very sought after."

"I don't care, put it back or else." Raven said, her voice calm and steady.

"I hear Time Lords regenerate" the man said nodding to his crew, "I'd like to see what happens." and he cracked his knuckles. "There are a lot of races out there that would love to get their hands on a Time Lord too, dead or alive."

Raven closed her eyes, crossed her arms and arranged her hands and fingers to cast a spell. She opened her eyes, they were bright white, and she said, "I am no Time Lord, I am a monster."

* * *

"You can't take that up here!" said one of the security guards pointing at the TARDIS. Raven didn't want to leave it down here in case it got stolen again, but the guards wouldn't let her take it back to the Doctors ward. "That thing causes too much of an obstruction. The wards are for patients, not for space craft."

Raven had been holding the Police Box in the air with her power, a big, black cube of energy surrounding it. She lowered her hand and the box fell down with a thud. She crossed her arms and drummed her fingers on her arms one at a time trying to figure out how to keep the TARDIS safe. She could pass it into an alternative dimension. But with this hospital ship at hyperspace she wasn't sure if she'd be able to get it back, whether in hyperspace or real space.

If the guy said it was too big then Raven would have to fix that. This was a very simple spell. It used to work on rats and fruit back on Azarath, so it should work on the TARDIS. She cast a black shroud of energy over the machine, and let her arms adopt the correct positions. She said her chimes and cast her spell.

It sounded like the TARDIS groaned in protest a few times like it wanted to takeoff and get away from her. But her powers held it in place as it felt like the machine resisted her powers. Sadly for it, there would only be one winner today. Suddenly the TARDIS vanished, but it hadn't taken off. A small object fell from the centre of where the TARDIS stood and it clattered to the floor.

Raven walked up to the object, picked it up and held the small Police Box, no bigger than a box of matches in her hand. Raven could sense that the machine was very annoyed with her for doing this, but at least she couldn't lose it now.

The guards looked at her as if she was a demon to be wary of. "Can I pass now?" she asked, "Or should I turn you into toads?"

The guards cleared her path and let her get onto the lift. As the door closed she glanced over at the ship that tried to steal the TARDIS.

 _They'll be fine._ She thought darkly. _It'll wear off, in an hour or six._

* * *

When she returned to the ward she placed the TARDIS in the Doctors coat pocket. She wanted to carry it with her but her clothes had the disadvantage of having no pockets, so the Doctors coat was the safest place to keep it.

Unfortunately by shrinking the TARDIS it meant she couldn't get in. A fact she realised quickly when the woman in the next bed started talking to her again.

 _Oh my God,_ she thought, _I should've let those guys take the TARDIS with me in it._

She closed off her mind and pretended to be sleepy. Surely if she did that the woman would know to shut up and let her rest.

"Oh dear, the little poppet is worn out." She said and went back to playing with her baby.

 _Finally, some peace_. Raven thought. It wasn't the best position to meditate in but she fell into her trance immediately, and she reached out to sense the whole ship.

The first thing she sensed was the TARDIS screaming at her in anger at what she'd done to it. Raven got a feeling the TARDIS was going to make her pay for doing that. Well, it should've put up more of a fight while being stolen. Shrinking it wasn't as bad as some of the things she could've done. The TARDIS outer shell was very malleable after all. She could've crushed it down and turned it into something else she could carry, and 'that' would've hurt it greatly. Raven made sure to tell the TARDIS this via telepathy.

 _Oh great, now I'm talking to the mute match box sized box of bolts too._

The rest of the ship was fairly busy and quite large. Everyone was rushing here and there, from place to place. It was always busy.

There was one thing she could sense that was curious. In the cargo hold there appeared to be some signs of life, but the hold didn't have an atmosphere. She guessed to save on the life support. But something was alive down there and it didn't need oxygen to survive. Maybe it was some kind of after image caused by the ship travelling through Hyperspace, she wondered.

Something was moving and it's life signs were small. Whether that meant they were actually small she didn't know. What was this creature? No, creature _s_ , because there were a number of them. Perhaps they were a kind of rat, a rat that didn't need oxygen to survive.

They were moving to the back of the ship, and in formation? She could sense that people were walking past them or over them so they weren't large enough to be seen.

As she sensed the rats Raven was aware someone had put something next to her. Her concentration broke, and she realised that the woman who couldn't shut up had put a cup of tea next to her. She'd gotten Raven a cup of tea? Was everyone in the universe this British? Raven actually appreciated the tea, though the action clashed with what her own personal experiences told her. _She's just trying to be nice_ , her mind told herself, she has no alternative agenda.

Her attention returned to the life signs she could sense. But they appeared to be gone. She released a big sigh and actually found herself falling asleep.

She was woken up by a disturbance as the ship dropped from hyperspace suddenly. Something had echoed in the ether and she reached out to check it. There had been an explosion in the lower levels. Something was damaged, badly damaged and she guessed that whatever it was, was either the hyper-drive or whatever was connected to it.

She opened her eyes, the cup of tea still warm beside her. The window now showed deep space with a few wisps of a green nebula here and there.

"Oh, have we arrived already?" the woman asked looking around. She was feeding her baby.

As Raven took in the sight she found it weirdly beautiful. The wisps of all the different colours in the darkness, glowing purple, green, red, and the smattering of stars around it.

"This is your captain speaking." Came an intercom message. "We are experiencing technical difficulties. Don't panic and we shall be on our way in a matter of moments." Suddenly the shutters on the windows dropped.

Raven could feel something was wrong.

"Oh blimey," the woman said, "Have we lost pressure?"

"No," Raven said suspiciously. There was something out there. A life, she could sense it. Not just one. Millions of them. Surrounding the ship. But they felt dormant, asleep, in fact not really alive.

Using her powers Raven took the shutter and forced it open. She'd prefer to want to see the thing that was potentially attacking them.

A man floated there, directly in front of the window. He was in some kind of protective silver suit. There was an apparatus around his shoulders with pipes that pumped liquid. The helmet had two dark eye holes, a straight mouth and appeared to have handlebars on either side of its head making it look like it was a big lamp.

The woman looked worried. "Don't worry, it's dead." Raven lied.

But the two women jumped and shrieked as its hand reached up and pressed its palm onto the glass, it was certainly alive. Raven got the uneasy feeling that those empty, black holes in its head were staring directly at her, into her soul.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** If the description wasn't clear enough. The creature Raven has just seen is a Cyberman. I thought it might be interesting to show Raven a truly emotionless creature to creep her out.

I knew if I'd left the TARDIS as it was, Raven, as she currently is as a character, would just want to slink back inside it and wait for the Doctor, and while inside she wouldn't be able to sense what was about to go on around her. So I had to keep her from getting back into the TARDIS. Plus I thought it was a good reference to the episode Flatline and Logopolis where the TARDIS outer shell shrinks.

What Raven did to the crew I think is a lot more powerful if I leave unclear, for now at least.


	17. Chapt 16, You're a real headache, Doctor

**Chapter 16**

 **You're a real headache, Doctor.**

"Oh my lord, it's a Cyberman!" the woman shrieked as the silver man began crawling its way along the hull.

Raven had heard of the Cybermen from the Doctor, but she'd never wanted or needed to look up what they actually where. She guessed they were some kind of cyborgs, a marriage of flesh and machine, but beyond that she didn't know anything else about them.

With a quick blast of energy Raven forced the Silver Soldier from the hull and it floated away to join its fellows in the void.

"What's a Cyberman?" Raven asked.

"They're monsters." the Woman said simply, "They're supposed to be extinct."

"I guess no one told them that." Raven said drily reaching out into the ether again. "I can sense millions of them out there, and they're all around the hull."

"Oh my gawd!" the woman said. Only now did Raven bother to notice that her accent was very strange. It was English but it must be regional or something. Odd that the TARDIS didn't translate the accent into something less ear grating. Maybe this was revenge for shrinking it.

Reaching out into the ether Raven could sense the mounting panic on the bridge. The captain and crew were running around trying to fix the Hyper-drive and get out of here, while Cybermen were at the air locks hammering to get inside.

"What do these Cybermen want?" Raven asked the woman.

"Us..." she shivered holding her baby close to her, "they want 'us'."

"What for?" The woman held up a trembling hand, pointing out at the Cybermen.

"They want to make us like them." she walked away hugging her baby "I'm not going to let them get you." She said to it.

Some Cybermen had already forced open an outer airlock, Raven could sense it. They were already getting in.

Raven looked down at the Doctor, still unconscious. He was helpless like this, and the Cybermen would get him for sure.

"Okay," she decided. She couldn't take the chance that the crew couldn't hold back the Cybermen menace, so she was going to get herself and the Doctor into the TARDIS and wait to see what happened.

She figured that maybe she could persuade the Doctors brain cramp to relax if she used her powers. She removed the strange device from his head and placed it on the bedside cabinet. She then placed the palms of her hands to his temples and closed her eyes. Connecting to him without actually going into his mind she began to find the tension where the electrical signals of the brain were going around and around in circles, and tried to make them relax.

A sudden burst of pain echoed in her own temples, as if something had just tried to smash its way in through the link she'd made with the Doctor. What the heck was that? Was it coming from inside or outside her head? Whatever it was she contained it. But she could feel a psychic backwash as if some mind was trying to connect to hers.

 _"Hello,"_ said a voice in her head. It sounded like several voices all trying to speak at once, but the words were clear and understandable. _"Hmm, it's dark."_ it said as if wondering to itself "And _I cannot sense, taste, or touch. Nor can I sense the flow of time. But I can hear things in the background. Hello?!"_

 _Who is that?_ Raven asked telepathically.

 _"Raven? Raven is that you?"_ She recognised one of the voices. The Doctors. In fact, she realised they were all the Doctor. All 8 of his bodies all speaking at the same time though his current incarnation being the dominant voice.

She opened her eyes. _"Ah, now I can see."_ He said, and she glanced down at the Doctor. But he was still unconscious, and not moving, so how was he speaking? _"Well, talk about an out of body experience!"_ The Doctor's voice said.

Raven felt her face drop as she began to suspect something. _Doctor, what can you see?_

 _"I can see me, laying on a bed, with a type 6 mental stabiliser unit over my head."_ Raven then waved her hands in front of her own face. _"Now I can see a pale hand, waving up and down. Oh... Oh... this is fascinating!"_

"This is a very bad dream, isn't it?" she asked the air around her.

 _"Try pinching yourself, maybe you'll wake us both up from this nightmare."_

 _Doctor, are you inside my own head?_ Raven asked. _Get out, right now!_

 _"I don't think I can."_ The Doctor replied. _"Because I don't think I'm in your head, technically. More like my brain is incapacitated and you've somehow created a telepathic link, so my brain has an outlet for my consciousness in you. It's like someone looking at a place through a security camera from the guards room. My brain is the guard room, you are the security camera."_

So basically the Doctor's brain was connected to hers and was using her eyes and ears at least for him to sense things. At least he wasn't inside her mind, she didn't know if she could stand that.

 _"I can detect your surface thoughts though."_

 _Okay, how do I reverse it?_ Raven thought to the Doctor.

 _"Not sure. Though maybe the link can be severed once my brain recovers."_ The Doctor told her. _"I honestly don't know what happened. I was at the console and suddenly it felt like something tried to smash its way through my psychic defences. The impact was so great it knocked me out and tried to mentally wrestle with me."_

Suddenly a flood of questions entered her mind. How long will that take? What had attacked the Doctor? Was it anything to do with her? What were these Cybermen? How come...

 _"Alright, alright slow down."_ the Doctor complained, " _you're making me dizzy with all these questions. Wait, did you just say, 'Cybermen'?"_

 _Yeah, there's millions of them outside this hospital ship._ She told him.

 _"Oh, so that's where we are."_ the Doctor asked, _"Wait, how did you fly the TARDIS here?"_ The Doctor asked, amazement in his voice.

 _I am cleverer than you think._ Raven told him, being careful not to let on that she'd dived into his head to get the information.

 _"Probably by two halves."_ The Doctor said, suspicion clear in his voice, or his minds voice, or whatever. But before he could push the point Raven jumped in with. _Doctor, Cybermen, what are they?!_ And she let him sense what she could sense, the millions of Cybermen surrounding the ship.

 _"Oh dear,"_ the Doctor said, _"we are in a pickle. I'm incapacitated and we're surrounded by one of my most deadly enemies. But we might be able to defeat them, even like this. Just do exactly as I tell you."_

 _No way,_ Raven thought standing up, _You're coming with me back to the TARDIS._

 _"Raven, don't make me have to repeat myself."_ The Doctor said, half pleading half scolding.

 _Please don't._ But she got up and was prepared to pick the Doctor up with her powers.

 _"You know a psychic link has to be broken both ways. If you don't help these people then you'll have to spend the rest of your life with me stuck in your head."_ the Doctor was threatening her? She mentally laughed. She could easily focus him out and compartmentalise him into a place in her mind she'd never ever listen to.

 _"Row, row, row your boat. Gently down the stream. Merrily, merrily, merrily,_ _merrily,_ _life is but a dream!"_

 _What the heck are you doing?!_

 _"Being as irritating as I can."_ The Doctor said, _"Bah bah, black sheep, have you any wool. Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full. One for the master, one for the maid, one for the little boy who lives down the lane!"_

 _Cut it out!_ Raven tried to make good on her threat and compartmentalise the Doctor in her head. But it felt like she was trying to cram a house into a filing cabinet. It was impossible.

 _"Zagreus sits inside your head, Zagreus lives among the dead, Zagreus sees you in your bed, and eats you when you're sleeping."_

 _I mean it!_ All this noise echoing in her head, it made it hard to focus enough to use her powers at all to do anything. If she couldn't use her powers then she couldn't lift the Doctor up, nor could she return the TARDIS to normal.

 _"Those who journey to Rassilons Tower, to go; must choose above, between, below."_

 _Doctor, stop it!_ She grabbed her head and shook it, hoping the Doctor could feel something.

 _"There once was a monster, from the mogadon cluster. Who..."_

 _Okay, okay. Just shut up already!_ Raven screamed into her head. _I really, really, really hate you, Doctor._

* * *

The Doctor had instructed her to retrieve the Sonic Screwdriver from his coat pocket, because it might be useful to her. When she had to pull the TARDIS out of his coat pocket to get the Screwdriver the Doctor questioned her on the reduced size of the TARDIS shell. She quickly told him not to dwell on it, it was safe, that's all that mattered.

"Oh dear," said the woman with the irritating voice "Were you having a fit?" she said, probably referring to when she began arguing with the Doctor in her brain. "Maybe you should see a doctor. Don't be scared of these Cybermen, I'm sure they won't get in." She said, trying to put a brave face on it, but Raven could tell she was terrified.

"I don't 'do' fear." Raven shot back and walked out.

 _"You should be scared,"_ the Doctor said _"Only a fool feels no fear."_

 _Spare me this, Doctor._ Raven thought. _I haven't got the patience for it._

The Doctor told Raven to head to the bridge to get an overview of what was going on. As they walked the Doctor filled her in on the Cybermen.

 _"They were humanoid creatures much like you once. But their society gained an obsession with 'improving' themselves. Replacing all organic parts with mechanical ones made of steel and plastics. Eventually to cope with the pain they had given themselves they removed a core part of what made them, them; their emotions. Making themselves an utterly logical sausage race of clones, all the same."_

 _Smart creatures,_ Raven said, _emotions are pain._

 _"Take my word for it when I say that you don't want to go through their conversion process."_ the Doctor added, _"It's rather gruesome and bloody. Their mission is to turn all organic life into Cybermen too."_

 _Why?_ Raven asked.

 _"I'm not sure. A large part of it I suspect is the need to eliminate all competition from the universe. They see other forms of life as an automatic threat by their mere existence. Those they cannot convert, they destroy. See it like the ultimate expression of a cult mentality."_

 _So they're paranoid that everyone else wants to destroy them automatically?_ Raven thought.

 _"Well, I wouldn't humanise them to that respect. It's all based on pure logic. Their programming deals in two principles. "One, to ensure survival," and "Two, all other species' can become aggressive and destructive to you". Therefore, under those principles the logical solution is to subjugate the unlike and convert or destroy."_

Raven mulled the concept of these creatures in her head as she continued walking towards the bridge. She kindly asked the Doctor to stop interrupting her thoughts with his own ideas, she wanted to mull this over herself. God, she really hoped this wasn't permanent. It was one of her true fears that she'd meet someone who could read her most deepest and inner thoughts.

As for these Cybermen, the conclusion she came to was that they were just evil, and for good reason. If they kept themselves to themselves then that would be more forgiving. But it was the fact they wanted to force their way of life onto others or be destroyed, that was the part that made them evil. Though to be totally emotionless, that sounded like a good thing for her, no pain, sadness or aggression to take over.

 _Doctor, quit reading my thoughts._

 _"I'm looking where you're going."_ he called back. _"Someone has to because you're not. The bridge was two turns back."_

When they did arrive at the door to the bridge it was clearly under heavy guard. It was a large steel door that looked to be air tight and impregnable. Probably to prevent people trying to hijack the ship. It also had two guards with heavy looking laser rifles ready for trouble.

 _"Okay, do and say what I say."_ the Doctor instructed.

 _I'm so enthusiastic._ Raven thought sarcastically as she pulled her hood up over her head.

 _"That's the spirit."_

Raven approached the guards who stopped her, their guns ready in case she caused trouble. They would be intimidating to her, if Raven didn't have the power to destroy them on the spot. But instead she'd have to talk to them and persuade them, and hopefully the Doctor could give her some magic words to get them to move because by the look of them she doubted words would be enough. Unless those words were "Azarath, Metrion Zinthos."

"I must speak with the captain, regarding your Cybermen attackers." Raven said, following what the Doctor was telling her.

"I'm sorry miss, no civilians allowed on the bridge." the guards said.

"I have important information for the captain." Ravens voice was very flat and lifeless.

 _"Come on, make it sound more natural. You sound like a Cyberman yourself."_ the Doctor said.

 _Shove it!_ Raven shot back.

"And we can't let civilians onto the bridge." The guard said, becoming threatening.

Raven charged her powers. " _NO."_ The Doctor interjected, sensing what she was about to do, and it was bad. " _Just push them aside and pass your way through the door."_

Rolling her eyes she did that. Pushing the two guards a part and using her powers to create an opening of dark energy so she could pass through the door.

On the other side the Bridge was in panic. It was a very large room with banks of computers on two levels. A large screen showed a readout of the whole ship, and a big window showing the view outside the front. Inside were four people. One probably a pilot, a communications officer, a security officer and a Captain.

"Cybermen have breached the air lock on level, seven." Cried someone.

"Level six says the passengers are becoming concerned. They can hear bangs and knocking coming from outside the hull." Cried someone else.

"Cybermen are at outer airlock ten."

"Engineering says to repair the Hyper-drive will take up to seven hours!"

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?" Someone shouted at Raven. By the look of this heavy set, elderly woman, the way she carried herself and the authority she displayed, Raven guessed she must be the captain.

 _I'm not saying that!_ Raven told the Doctor. But he pressured her and mentally twisted her arm. _FINE!_

"I am Raven. I'm..." she hesitated "...a Time Lord." _"That's going to carry much more weight than saying you're a Monk from some backwater asteroid in Dimension Zed."_ The Doctor mocked.

The door behind Raven opened and the guards rushed in to grab her. But Raven activated her powers, picked them up and flung them back. She caught them before they slammed into the wall and caused any serious damage to themselves.

"I mean no harm." Raven said. "But as you can see, I can be useful. I came here with..." The Doctor wanted her to say '...A dashing and hansom Time Lord swashbuckler called the Doctor...' but Raven refused, telling him mentally, Screw you!"...a fellow Time Lord called the Doctor. An enemy to the Cybermen."

"Well, where is he?" the Captain said. "Heavens knows we need all the help we can get."

"He's in the hospital wards, unconscious." Raven said. "But I am his..." she hesitated, not really wanting to say it "...Padawan, his apprentice."

 _Doctor, I WILL make you pay for this, when this is over._

"But my telekinetic powers far surpass his." She added herself so she had some input into this.

"Maybe you will come in handy." the Captain said dismissively, "wait here" and she turned back to the monitors.

 _"Go take a look at that screen at the back. Give me as much data as you can."_ Raven did as instructed and approached the board looking at it. It showed a schematic of the ship along with a lot of data and readings. Raven couldn't understand it, but through her eyes she got the sense that the Doctor was absorbing all of it quickly and his brain back in the ward processed it all.

 _"Okay, I'm going to tell you what to say, and this time you can put it into your own words."_ The Doctor said, _"Maybe this time you'll sound like a real human being."_

 _Go screw yourself!_

Raven tried to get the captains attention, but she seemed to just be dismissing her at every turn. "I'm sorry, but I have no time to deal with children."

The Doctor immediately gave her a string of words to say to hopefully get the Captains attention.

"I'm not a child! I am much older than I look. I happen to be over 600 years old." She lied, "I'm in my 6th incarnation, and with a level 6 psycho-kinetic level."

 _Hey, wait a minute... 6-6-6?! Doctor, I swear, I will murder you!_

"Okay, so you're older than you look, and you're arrogant. Out of my way." The Captain pushed past her.

 _"Raven, you don't sound very convinced of it yourself."_ The Doctor commented.

 _Because I'm not._ Raven shot back. _This is stupid._

 _"Look, give me full access to your mouth and body and I'll sort this out for us."_ But Raven refused. _Get back in your own body! You go through bodies like jelly babies, there is no way I'm letting you have control of mine._

A Cyberman floated in front of the windscreen and began hammering on the glass. The crew stepped back in panic and looked like they were going to evacuate the bridge. But Raven remained calm and collected. She stepped forward, cast dark energy over the Cyberman and with a flick of her fingers sent him flying back, away from the ship like she had flicked a bug.

She turned to the captain and said "Do you want my help now?"

* * *

Raven and the Doctor gathered as much information as possible. Apparently they had arrived in an area of space where. According to the Doctors knowledge. A great space battle had occurred in the Cyber-War some few thousand years ago. One ship had been flooded with Cybermen and to defeat them they had opened the air lock and blasted them all out into deep space.

 _Did you have something to do with that?_ Raven asked.

 _"The Dandy Man did, yes."_ The Doctor confirmed. Raven guessed he meant his 3rd incarnation.

But though the Cybermen had been blasted out into space they had remained active all these years, until this hospital ship dropped out of hyperspace right in the middle of them.

 _"It's an extraordinary coincidence."_ The Doctor said. _"That the Hyper-drive should fail at this precise moment."_ Raven let the Doctor know about what she had sensed earlier, the smaller life signs before the Hyper-drive blew, and he seemed to consider it. _"Let me think on that a little longer. But first we need to sort out the problem at hand."_

"First things first." Raven said, following the Doctors voice as it told her his plan. "Open the shutters and disable them so they can't close." Raven couldn't believe what the Doctor had just made her say. He was asking them to open up the protective shields for the windows. To remove an extra layer keeping them from the Cybermen. "Also, overload the door circuits on the outer airlock doors so they open and stay jammed open."

 _Doctor, are you nuts?_ The crew must be thinking the same thing because they looked at her like she was insane. But she continued to recite what the Doctor was telling her.

"The Cybermen want this ship. But most of all they want the people inside this ship, alive. Their numbers are low. There may be a million Cybermen out there but not all will be able to be revived, they'll be mostly spare parts. They need fresh bodies, and if they smash their way in then the rest of the ship has no protection against the Vacuum of space. They'll be killing their 'life blood'."

That was actually a very good plan in Ravens mind. Assuming 'if' the Cybermen valued the living cargo within.

"Outer airlock 6 breached." A man at the console said.

The Doctor was prodding Raven to talk again. "Do you see how they're breaking in? They're not smashing the doors to pieces. They're being careful not to damage the air locks, because they need them."

The looks they were all giving her made her uncomfortable. It was realisation, mixed a little with admiration; and Raven could feel the Doctors smugness.

"Move all the patients away from the outer hull." Raven said. "The sight of the Cybermen might distress them."

 _"Raven, you said that by yourself!"_ The Doctor said mentally cheering her. _Things will be much worse if they panic._ Raven told him, trying to sound coldly logical about it. In reality she wanted to feel like some of that admiration from the crew was justifiably hers.

"It's worth a try." The Captain said, "Make it so."

The crew got to work at their computers. Some calling the intercom asking all patients to be removed to the inner shells. Patients which included the Doctors body and that annoying woman. Then all shutters were opened and jammed as were any outer airlocks.

They watched on the monitors as the Cybermen's assault on the ship stopped. They stood back and stared at the locks and windows now like statues. They looked totally clueless on what to do.

"It's worked." the security officer said. "They're just standing there like a bunch of nannas." Whatever that meant.

"They won't give up so easily," Raven said, she didn't need any prompting from the Doctor, she knew what to say. "They want this ship and whats' in it. They'll find a way in eventually. Hopefu..."

 _"STOP!"_ the Doctor cut across her. She had been about to say "Hopefully the Cybermen don't decide they value this ship more than they value the people on board." But the Doctor interrupted saying this might be bad for their moral.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** I have only just now realised what I've accidentally done is set up a similar scenario to the Doctor Who episode Flatline. Where the 12th Doctor is trapped in a shrunken TARDIS and has to rely on his companion to bluff her way around as she talks to him. Only in this case the Doctor is in a coma, Raven is getting instructions telepathically, and her social skills means this is a million times more awkward for her.

There is another reason why I've put the Doctor and Raven into this position where the Doctors brain is using Raven's mind, eyes and ears, but that would be spoiling it all. :P


	18. Chapter 17, Why I don't 'do' friends

**Chapter 17**

 **Why I don't 'do' friends!**

 _Okay, now what do we do?_ Raven asked the Doctor telepathically. They may have stopped the Cybermen for now, but Raven got the impression if these creatures wanted something then they would find a way to get it. The fact that they all just stood there and stared up directly at the cameras really did creep Raven out. As if they could see through them at directly at her.

" _They won't give up. Their logic circuits are probably whizzing as we speak trying to find a way to break in. They're relentless, they'll find a way in eventually."_ The Doctor told her. _"What we need to do is to get this ships hyper-drive functioning."_ No sooner had the Doctor said this then.

"What's the progress on the Hyper-drive repairs?" The Captain asked the engineering department.

" _Speak of the devil."_ The Doctor said. But no response came from engineering.

"Engineering. Gavin, Stewart, can you hear me?" the Captain called into the coms, but again she got no reply. Just static.

 _"The engineering crew for a ship this size must be at least three to five people. If not one is calling in, then I suspect we could be in trouble."_ The Doctor said his voice grave.

"Security. Coms are down." the Captain said practically punching the buttons, "get down there and see what's up."

" _You better go with them. Your 'talents' could be useful."_ The Doctor told her.

 _Do you know what's down there?_ Raven asked, suspicious that the Doctor knew more than he was letting on.

" _Just set the Sonic Screwdriver to level 17, and hope I'm wrong."_ He said.

 _Wrong about what?_ Raven prompted. _Doctor, now is not the time to be mysterious._

" _Okay, I'm theorising a little annoying menace called Cybermats."_

 _Is that a real thing, or did you just make it up?_

* * *

Raven accompanied two security soldiers down into the bowels of the ship. They had decided only two were needed since they were just checking on engineering. Hopefully the Cybermen had just damaged the coms. Worst case was apparently these Cybermat creatures.

Small metallic slug like creatures that hunted people by focusing on their brain waves. They were filled with a poison that would slowly kill whoever they attacked. Depending on which era these Cybermen came from then the Cybermats could attack and re-program someones brain, effectively destroying the person and making them subservient to the Cybermen.

The two guards had questioned why Raven was down there with them, but they didn't put up much of an argument after the Captain informed them that she was going with them, no questions asked. Through the tinted frame of their helmets Raven realised these two had witnessed her shrink the TARDIS earlier. Which was probably why they looked wary of her, as if she would genuinely turn them into toads if she had the chance.

 _"Aren't you going to talk to them? Make conversation?"_ The Doctor said, _"Make them trust you?"_

 _Why?_ Raven asked simply.

 _"Because they're wary of you, and people respond better to fellow beings who talk and express themselves."_ The Doctor said.

 _I'm not here to make friends, Doctor._ Raven made that perfectly clear to him. _I can't be hurt by them if I never make an emotional connection._ Wait, she hadn't meant to think that!

 _"Oh, so that's why..."_

 _Doctor, shut it!_ She commanded, it was just a quick slip of the mind but it had already revealed too much.

As they descended Raven kept noticing that one of the guards was a young, blonde boy. Only a few years older than she was. Probably a new recruit or something. He kept glancing at her from the corner of his eyes and Raven was just barely aware of it.

 _I think that boy likes me._ That thought came from nowhere. _Who?_ said another voice in her head. _The young one with the fair hair._ Raven caught his eye, and he quickly looked away. Raven began to feel herself blushing, but under her hood it'd be difficult to see.

 _I'm imagining things._ _He's just terrified of me._ Raven told herself. _Do you think he likes me?_ A stray thought said. _Stop it!_ Raven commanded herself, trying to maintain control of her emotions and focus her mind. _Just stop it! Stop it! No one likes me, it's not possible for anyone to like me. Just stop hoping, you only get hurt when you try to love other people!_

Silence in her head at last, and she took a deep breath. But her face fell when she realised that the absence of the Doctors voice was conspicuous. _Doctor..._ She thought. _You didn't hear that. Got it!_

 _"Do you honestly believe that?"_ the Doctor asked in an understanding tone, as if he could! Raven didn't answer, she was too embarrassed. Her deeper thoughts might not be on display to him but her stray thoughts were easy for him to see. _"I like you,"_ The Doctor said, Raven just rolled her eyes. _"and you tried to kill me."_

 _I don't want to talk about this anymore!_

 _"Fascinating. You have clashing aspects of your personality."_ The Doctor was talking about her like she was some kind of psychology case. _"You've separated out your emotions into separate entities within your brain, haven't you? That's why you seem to be a walking mass of contradictions. But I guess it makes meditation easier. Until you get an intense emotional reaction."_

 _Doctor, I said shut it! Shut it, now!_ She shouted into her mind, trying to bury the moment of weakness under the crushing weight of her logical, and she felt, justifiable cynicism of other people and the world.

 _"Don't worry, it's not that weird. We Time Lords do a similar thing, only with our incarnations, that's how we remain sane despite having multiple personalities rattling around in our head. Though there was this one case where a Time Lord couldn't separate out his incarnations, he went totally bonkers. Imagine eleven voices in your head all at once all wanting their say, every decision and thought becoming an intense debate among clashing personalities."_ At least he wasn't psycho analysing her again.

 _I can think of one less voice I want in my head._ Raven sent to him.

* * *

As they descended the ship became less white and streamlined and a lot more muddled. The corridors were less clean and there were cradles holding machinery in place. It was drab and depressing, and it smelt of ozone.

" _That'll be the drive systems."_ The Doctor said, _"The ship has anti-matter drives, which…"_

 _Yeah, is this going to be useful?_ Raven challenged. _or are you just showing off?_

" _Oh, trust you to spoil all the fun."_ The Doctor said sulkily. She just wanted the Doctor to shut up for five minutes. Since this telepathic contact they had formed it was impossible for her to get a minute of peace to herself.

"Gavin, Stewart" one of her security guard escorts called out. "What's wrong? Is everyone okay?"

"Nothing" came a voice back down the corridor, "I am fine." And a man stepped into view. He was in grey, liquid stained overalls. He was balled and clean shaven, and his eyes just stared out from his skull. Raven felt him through the ether. He felt 'wrong' somehow.

" _Oh no,"_ the Doctor said, _"I think he's been nobbled by a Cyber-mat."_

 _And what do you want me to do about it?_ Raven asked with no hint of emotion.

" _He'll try to bluff and make you go away,"_ The Doctor said, _"at first."_

"Gavin, are you okay?" The security guard asked.

"I am fine, please leave me to my work." His words were monotone and robotic.

"He's under Cyber control." Raven said, making it clear to the security guards this guy was a threat. "The Cybermen got to him."

"What are you talking about." The guard, the blonde one said.

 _"We'll soon find out. Activate the Sonic Screwdriver and point it at him."_ The Doctor instructed.

Raven did so, the Screwdriver made a loud noise but nothing appeared to be happening.

" _No, not like that! Don't wave it like a magic wand."_ The Doctor complained, Raven was holding it like one might a flash light. " _Hold it upright and make sure the emitter ring end points at him. All you're doing is sonic-ing the floor."_

Reorienting the Screwdriver so that it properly pointed at Gavin the effect was noticeable. The man appeared to be jerking his head this way and that. Reaching up like a machine trying to re-establish contact with whatever was controlling it.

"What are you doing?" the older security guard asked.

"Gavin is already dead." Raven said with no hint of emotion or sorrow, "He's no more then a fleshy puppet for the Cybermen to control. This proves it. This Sonic device…" she paused as the Doctor rattled off a technical explanation "…is interfering with their control patterns."

" _That's not what I said!"_ The Doctor complained.

 _I don't 'do' techno-babble, Doctor_.

Eventually Gavin fell to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut. The security guards looked at her as if she was some cold hearted monster, _not an original observation_. They moved forwards to inspect the body.

" _Stop them, don't let them get near him!"_ The Doctor commanded and Raven used her telekinetic powers to produce a wall of dark energy between them and Gavin.

"What are you doing?" the blonde guard complained advancing towards her. Raven didn't flinch at his approach. She stared straight into his eyes, a penetrating cold stair to show she was not intimidated by him.

"Watch!" Raven commanded pointing at Gavins body. From behind the body a small metallic creature rolled out. It was like a silver, metallic slug but it was moving as fast as a radio-controlled car. It took one look at the three of them. Reared up and jumped at them. But it impacted Ravens psychic wall and bounced off. The security guards watched as the Cybermat danced around as if wondering how it was going to get past this strange wall separating it from its prey.

" _I was right, and it makes this more serious. How did Cybermats get on board, I wonder?"_ The Doctor thought.

Raven used her power to take hold of the Cybermat and with a swift motion she crushed it to pieces.

" _You make adventuring a lot more straight forward."_ The Doctor said.

 _Don't get used to it._

" _I'd be surprised if you said otherwise."_ The Doctors voice was dismissive.

Dropping her wall the guards moved forwards to examine Gavin's corpse. Raven didn't need to be told. She could sense he was dead. She just walked past them like a ghost and opened the door to the drive room.

 _"We'll need to work on your empathy."_ The Doctor commented.

 _Sure we do._ Raven said dismissively.

Reaching out she tried to sense any more of these Cybermat creatures. There were at least three of them in the drive room. Her two guards followed her into the room and she held up her hands and placed a dark wall in front of them and they comically ran into it.

"Wait." Raven called. The wall disappeared and she reached out to those Cybermats she could sense, and quickly, and easily dispatched all of them as easily as if stepping on an insect.

" _I wouldn't have done that!"_ the Doctor called to her.

 _Why?_

Something caught her attention. Life signs she didn't sense before, they were just appearing, but where from? They suddenly lit up like Christmas trees in the ether. Three, no four, five! They were small? What were they, more Cybermats?

Something punched through the grated floor at her feet as easily as if it were paper, forcing her onto her back. It was a silver arm. Pulling itself up from under the grate was a Cyberman. It stood at its full height which was an impressive six or seven meters tall. Towering over her with those handlebars on its head for some reason gave Raven a flashing image of her father. Big, powerful and intimidating.

There was another bang and another Cyberman popped out of the floor, followed by another, and another. All pulling themselves up from the floor like the living dead. Small hydraulic pistons rang as they crawled out and began advancing on them.

" _This was always a possibility."_ The Doctor said. _"Where there are Cybermats, there are Cybermen."_

 _And you're mentioning this to me now, why exactly?!_

Getting a good sense of these creatures as they advanced Raven didn't mind admitting she was totally creeped out by them. Their staring blank expressions and dark eye-holes just unnerved her. She'd never seen anything like it before. It felt alive, just, but its appearance and movements were that of a soulless robot.

The nearest Cyberman reached out like a Zombie as it approached.

"Do not fear," the Cyberman said, its voice monotone and expressionless and she didn't have the courage to verbally disagree with its 'fear' statement. "Cybermen shall remove fear. You will become like us."

" _Raven! Raven!"_ The Doctor screamed at her. She snapped out of it and moved back to the other two security guards.

Someone screamed out loud as a Cyberman grabbed a security guard, the older one. This guard was heavily built, big and powerful, but this Cyberman held him up in both arms as if he were a rag doll. He shouted and cursed at the robot giant kicking it in its stomach. "Tumour detected in the cerebrum. This one is not compatible." The Cyberman said and its hands crushed the mans arms as if they were popsicle sticks before dropping him to the floor. As he writhed in pain the machine stamped on his head crushing it. Raven had to look away, it was too gruesome to watch.

 _THIS IS WHY I DON'T 'DO' FRIENDS, DOCTOR._ She screamed into her head.

She backed up to the blonde security guard and cast an energy barrier around them so they were safe, provided the Cybermen couldn't break their way in.

If she'd been focused and not intimidated by these tin soldiers then maybe she could've sensed a weakness. But she had hesitated. She couldn't do it now because all of her concentration was focused on the shield, and it was taking a lot of effort as the Cybermen pounded on it from above.

 _Teleport._ Raven was thinking. _The ships out of hyper-space, I can teleport._

" _NO!"_ the Doctor cried, _"the warp fields here are still active. You try to teleport and your bodies will be ripped to shreds as you pass through dimensions."_

 _So what do we do?_ She asked, Raven held up her hands to help herself focus on strengthening the barrier.

 _"Ask them questions. Like what are they doing here, what is their plan. Stuff like that."_

 _And you expect them to just tell me?_

" _You'd be surprised."_ The Doctor said.

"What are you doing here? What's your plan?" she asked the Cybermen, but they didn't stop. They just kept pounding.

"It is not logical to impart our plans to you." A Cyberman called.

" _Oh, I see they've wised up at last."_ The Doctor said, disappointed. _"Tell them you have gold dust, and you'll use it."_

 _What?_ Raven questioned but verbally she said it. "Stop, I have gold dust and I'll use it." They hesitated, but only for a split second.

"You lie!" and continued to pound on the barrier.

Raven knelt down and shrank her shield, shrinking it made the barrier stronger because it required less concentration to keep it in existence. The blonde guard knelt down too and Raven shrank it further, making it stronger still and the Cybermen gathered around. This gave Raven an idea.

Quickly she stood up to her full height and as she did she also quickly expanded the barrier and blasted the Cybermen back away from them across the room. This didn't phase them for long and they were quickly getting up.

Grabbing the blonde guard by the arm she dragged him back through the door, along the corridor and back the way they had came. They leapt over the Cyberman that was laying on its back trying to get up. Its fingers snapped as its vice like hands missed them by inches.

* * *

" _So, they've nobbled the Drive systems, permanently. So fixing the warp drive is out."_ The Doctor summarised as they ran from the drive room and sealed the door behind themselves, and were now pressing their backs against it. As Raven thought about the Doctors statement she guessed he'd noticed something in the drive room while she was focused on the Cybermen. _"You know, its weird having someone else drive your mind around like this, especially running around."_ The Doctor was off topic again.

"Don't the Cybermen have a weakness?" Raven asked, not realising she was speaking out loud _._

 _"By their reaction to your threat of gold. I'm guessing that's still their weakness. In the past it used to be intense radiation, damaged their living tissue you see. Later it was non-corrodible metals like gold, it would clog their respirators and interfere with delicate equipment used to keep them alive."_

"And do you have gold?" Raven asked.

" _There are sacks of the stuff in the TARDIS."_ The Doctor said. _"I gave two sacks to Chang Lee a few months back, but there should still be plenty of the stuff. You know, I knew I had them for a reason. Go to the console room, in the filing cabinet at the back, far draw, third up."_

"Who are you talking to?" The blonde guard asked.

"I'm in telepathic contact with…" she hesitated, "…some irritating know-it-all I came in with. He may be unconscious, but I can still talk to him via telepathy. He's giving me information as we speak."

"You Time Lords are a weird bunch." The guard said.

"You're telling me." Raven said, thinking of the Doctor.

"I always thought that…" the blonde guard said, but Raven held up her hand to shut him up.

"Wait, the Doctors yammering on again."

" _What could their plan be?"_ The Doctor wondered. _"Sure, the Cybermen are nearly extinct, but there are better plans if they want to swell their numbers. This can't be just a simple rescue mission for their kin. Half the soldiers floating around out there will be as dead as door nails, it hardly seems worth their time. Unless there is something else in this region of space that they're after."_

The Cybermen were now hammering on the door, Raven and the blonde guard moved away as they felt the impacts. Dents were slowly being punched into the metal.

" _Strong aren't they?"_ The Doctor commented. _"There must've been something I missed, back in my third incarnation when I was last in this region. Listen, Raven. I need to withdraw back to my mind for a while to search through my memories. Will you be okay?"_

 _I look forward to the peace at last._

" _Good, shall not be a jiffy."_ And the Doctor was silent, at last.

More dents appeared in the door.

"Command, command. This is private Armstrong," said the security guard into his com-unit.

 _So his name is Armstrong_. Raven gritted her teeth. _I said shut it!_

"We have a situation down here. Cybermen are already on board the ship. They have taken the drive room. They've killed David"

"Stay put, I'll send re-enforcement's." Said the Captain. Raven waited until the place was swarming with guards and their heavy weapons. Setting up a barricade to fight back against the Cybermen if they managed to break through. That's when Raven decided to go on a gold hunt.

"I'll be right back." And Raven turned and strolled off.

"Where are you going?" Armstrong asked running to catch up to her.

"To find some gold, the Cybermen apparently hate it, and I know just where to find it."

Armstrong continued to follow her.

"You don't have to come with me." Raven said bluntly.

"You might need help." the boy said.

"I won't, but please yourself."

* * *

After putting some distance between herself and the warp drives Raven teleported herself and Armstrong up to the higher decks, he was amazed at what she could do with so little effort. Raven could sense the Doctors unique signature and she had followed it to find where they had moved him to. It was quite a long way, presumably to keep as much space between the patients and the Cybermen.

As they pushed past aliens on beds and stretchers they found the Doctor. The nosy woman from earlier tried to grab her attention, but Raven ignored her. When they were finally at the Doctors side Raven noticed they had replaced the strange device over his head and his body was still out of it.

"Hello there," said Dr. Wood, in greeting. "Don't worry, he's still stable. Though why we've had to cram everyone into these small spaces I have no idea."

"Is he okay?" Raven asked. "Is he going to wake up soon?"

"Not sure, you can't rush this." Dr. Wood said waggling a finger at her. "I've worked on Time Lords before. He'll be as right as rain in no time."

"Good," Raven said, "I'm just here to collect something." And she looked for the Doctors coat, but it wasn't there! "Where's his coat?" she asked hurriedly.

"Oh, we left it back in the other ward. We were told to move fast, personal belongings had to be left behind you understand." Dr. Wood said, and while he was in the middle of this sentence Raven had spun on her heel and walked back out the door, Armstrong following.

"Where is this gold?" Armstrong asked walking along side her.

"Remember that blue box?" Raven said.

"The one you shrank down?" Armstrong asked.

"Yeah. That was the TARDIS... our Time Capsule." she corrected in case Armstrong wasn't familiar with the name TARDIS. "Inside it, we'll find the gold we need."

"Hey nice. I'm going to see whats inside a Gallifreyan Time Capsule." the boy said.

"No." Raven said bluntly "You are going to stay outside while I get the stuff." There was no way she was going to invite this stranger into her home.

Armstrong argued but Raven made sure to get across that there would be no arguments about this.

Arriving at the medical bay where the Doctor originally was, Raven spotted the Doctors velvet coat hung up where she'd left it. She reached into the pockets and pulled out a book. Tossing it to the floor she reached in and pulled out a bag of jelly babies, dropping them to the floor she then pulled out a spy-glass, a tangled yo-yo, a broken pocket watch, a copy of 'Intergalactic monsters and what to do about them'. The more she pulled out the more Raven felt irritated.

"How much junk is there in his coat?" Raven asked out-loud. The TARDIS should've been close to the top, not buried under all this junk.

Armstrong tapped her on the shoulder.

"Don't touch me." Raven said testily. But Armstrong did it again, and he was pointing out the window.

There were two Cybermen standing just outside. Their legs somehow clamped to the hull. They were holding what looked like a very long pike and they were about to bring it down onto the window. It impacted, but nothing happened. They pulled the pike up again ready to strike, and brought it down with a great deal of force. They were trying to break in.

Though this made Raven's blood run cold she was satisfied about one thing. She was right, the Cybermen had decided they value the ship over the lives of the people inside.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** Legit question for you readers. How are you dealing with the way I'm writing the telepathic conversation between Raven and the Doctor? Is it easy to understand? Because Raven's thoughts are just in _italics_ like I always write thoughts, where as the Doctors are in both _"italics and speech marks."_ to show that they are his communications,and I want to know if its easy to follow. Let me know so I can adjust it for previous and later chapters.

One thing I'm currently scratching my head over is why in the Teen Titans TV show Raven doesn't use her powers to simply crush and disable? I don't just mean people, I mean machines. There were times where Raven taking and crushing something could've ended the battle in a snap. Such as Control Freaks remote control. Surely it would be so easy for her to focus on it and destroy it, obviously the reason was because it would make for a very boring battle scene. So I'm guessing for some reason she just doesn't to it, or shy's away from it. Like she learns that using her powers in such a way might be too easy. Similar to how a Jedi doesn't use the Force to crush another person. Such an action is seen as the dark side, and though Raven thinks of herself as evil, contradictorily she doesn't want to really become evil.

That's my explanation why she doesn't just crush the Cybermen, and the same with anyone around her. It would be too easy. This is something I'm going to write into the following chapters to explain it. Which means I'm going to have to get a lot more creative. Its not in this chapter because I didn't give her the chance to even try that.

I've made a reference to the Doctor Who audio series Doom Coalition, which features a Time Lord character called 'the Eleventh'. A Time Lord with a strange condition where after he regenerates his previous personalities still talk to him in his head constantly arguing with each other, slowly driving him insane.


	19. Chapter 18, March of the Cybermen

**Chapter 18**

 **March of the Cybermen**

Impact! The glass slowly began to crack and fracture.

"Run" Raven said, grabbing the Doctors coat from the hanger she and Armstrong turned tale and ran as fast as they could out the door. Armstrong activated a switch on the wall next to the door, and it slammed shut behind them.

He raced towards a box on the wall, opened it up and removed something that looked like a fire extinguisher. Bringing it back to the door he began spraying it around the frame of the door, into all nooks and crannies.

"Sealant foam," he explained, "We use it to seal small hull breaches. Hopefully the door should hold in the pressure."

There was a loud bang followed by a quick gust of air as the atmosphere within the room evacuated violently. Though the door held they could both hear a whistle as the atmosphere continued to evacuate through small holes in the sealant.

"How strong are those doors?" Raven asked.

"Not strong enough." Armstrong said. If the Cybermen were in, and they were as strong as she had seen, then they'll probably make short work of this door. Making their efforts pointless.

Raven could sense the Cybermen crawling up to the shattered window, but they weren't climbing through. The breach they had made wasn't large enough for them. Instead they had just deposited something inside the ship, and amazingly they appeared to be re-sealing the breach they had caused, with them still outside the ship. Whatever they had just left behind, her brain was telling her it was dangerous. It couldn't be an explosive. Why seal up the breach again if it was? If it was an explosive and it went off it'd destroy the window and the door. Unless whatever it was, needed the atmosphere intact to work. Some kind of gas maybe?

Raven told what she could sense to Armstrong, and he called it in to the Captain.

"Confirmed," said the Captain, "It's happening all over the ship. Cybermen making small punctures only to insert something and re-seal the breach. Go check out the breach in wing 6C, and be careful. Take that Time Lord girl with you, maybe her 'high and mighty' Time Lord brain knows what it is." Raven got the feeling the Captain still didn't like her. _Like I care._

Raven still held the Doctors coat in her hands as she followed Armstrong to wing 6C, as she ran she continued to fish for the TARDIS within its cavernous pockets.

When they arrived they found a small canister, maybe the size of a briefcase, just sitting in the middle of the floor. The window through which it had been thrown through had sealant foam sprayed over it to maintain the atmosphere, and outside Cybermen watched and waited. They didn't react as they came through the door, they just appeared to be waiting.

Armstrong held his gun fast in case the canister sprouted legs or something, and tried to attack them. But it remained as inanimate as anything.

As Armstrong examined the canister Raven took the Doctors coat and slipped it on over her cloak to make searching all the pockets easier. The coat was far too big for her smaller frame. It had to be in here somewhere, so why wasn't this coat giving it to her? She dreaded that it might not be in there at all. _Please, please, please don't let that be the case._ She thought as worry began to escape her face. The Doctors pockets appeared to be bigger on the inside, like the TARDIS. Which meant she couldn't sense the TARDIS void in the ether, because the Doctors pockets already felt like voids in the ether.

"Its empty." Armstrong said, catching Ravens attention, he was referring to the canister. "It's open and it's empty. Whatever was inside is already gone!"

The lights suddenly dimmed, before flashing off altogether. The only lights were now strips in the floor, presumably for people to find their way it the main power failed, but it cast the area into an unnerving gloom.

Without the Doctor to tell her the answers Raven began to think what might have been in the canister. Another Cybermat? No, she couldn't sense anything that felt like a Cybermat, and the canister didn't look like it opened wide enough to allow something so large to get out. A type of gas? If it contained gas then it was pretty harmless since she and Armstrong were standing near the canister, which is where it should be strongest, with no ill effects. Perhaps bacteria or viruses? In which case they were likely both contaminated.

At that thought Raven reached up to her throat and felt it. Was her throat sore, or was it just her imagination. _Get a grip_. She commanded. No point in worrying about it now, if it's happened.

"Armstrong to command," he called into his com, "Its an inanimate canister, but whatever was inside it has escaped."

"Confirmed," the Captain said, "Tell our Time Lord friend that the Cybermen seem to be staying put in the drive room, and they've stopped bashing on the doors."

Why had they stopped? Raven wondered. Cybermen were logical and apparently connected to each other so there must be a reason. Some circumstance must've changed. Raven looked down at the canisters as a thought occurred to her. The worry must've been present on her face, because Armstrong asked "What's wrong?"

"The attack on the drive room." Raven said, "It wasn't an attack, it was a distraction. They wanted to get as many security guards down into the hold to fight them as possible."

Armstrong looked down at the canister and understanding dawned on him. "So they could do this without interference."

"Or damage their live stock." Raven added morbidly. "We were being herded like cattle."

They both looked down at the canister again. Whatever had escaped it was probably close to this room.

* * *

Gingerly they left the ward. Raven reached out with her powers trying to detect a trace of what was inside those canisters. But she sensed nothing. If it was a gas then that would make sense. A gas wasn't alive, nor was it solid enough to make an imprint in the ether. So she wouldn't be able to sense it.

They stayed put as Raven continued to fish in all the coat pockets for the TARDIS. Pulling out an old magazine, a half eaten apple, a stick of celery, several items she didn't understand the purpose of. Ravens hands dived into both coat pockets and she rummaged around hoping for her fingers to brush up against the familiar panelled walls of the miniaturised Police Box shell. How did the Doctor ever pull out anything he wanted out of these pockets?

They heard a scream echo from down the corridor, and Raven could sense life signs fading out of existence. Without thinking both Raven and Armstrong took off in that direction, their feet clattering on the metal as they ran. Raven continuing to look for the TARDIS.

Suddenly Raven sensed something all to familiar now and grabbed Armstrong to hold him back. Something stomped from around the corridor, its hydraulics hissing. A Cyberman! How did that get in here? It was followed by an army, dozens of them, all from a door which led to an inner ward. A ward that not long ago had been filled with patients, and now had the distinct aroma of death.

The army turned as one unit, spotted them and began stamping towards Raven and Armstrong.

"Halt, halt. You will become like us." They chanted as they reached out in unison to get them.

Armstrong raised his rifle, but Raven grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and pulled him back down the corridor. "Don't be an idiot!" She shouted at him. Why did boys have to be so gun-ho? There was no way he could take on that army with just that one gun.

As they ran sparks erupted from the walls around them as these Cybermen seemed to be firing some kind of energy weapons set into their foreheads.

"Control, this is Armstrong. We have Cybermen in sector C6. Seal the wing!" Armstrong called into his coms device.

"What?" the Captain asked, "Private, Repeat message."

"Seal sector C6, they're coming!"

A mere few seconds later a blast door came down behind them with a slam. They heard two other doors engage on the other side of the blast door, probably other doors to isolate the Cybermen from the rest of the ship.

"Where the heck did the 'Silver Dance Troop' come from?" Armstrong said panting. "They must've gotten all the patients in that sector."

 _Doctor_ , Raven called into her mind. She couldn't believe she wanted to hear the Doctor again. _Doctor!_ No response. They were on their own.

Through a window in the blast door they saw the Cybermen approach and stop. They just stopped and stared through the glass at them not making any move to try to break inside. Why weren't they attacking? They were logical so… Raven felt herself go cold. They weren't trying to break through because logically they didn't need to.

"You will become like us!" Said the tones of another Cyberman. They both spun around to see another army of them stamp out of another ward and turn to them.

"Sector D6!" Armstrong shouted into his com. "Cybermen! Blast doors."

The heavy blast doors fell, but one of the metal giants caught it and with amazing strength lifted it up with little effort allowing its fellows to pass under.

Both Raven and Armstrong took off again running as the Cybermen fired, but their shots always seem to go wide. The Metal Menaces were targeting the walls whenever they got near them. Clearly they were trying to knock them out, slow them down, not kill them.

"Private Armstrong, this is the Captain." Said a voice from his wrist com, "You should have re-enforcement's inbound in sector E6."

Sector E6 was around the next corner, but from around that corner came something which forced them to come to a halt. It wasn't re-enforcement's. It was more Cybermen! Where the heck were they all coming from?!

They were surrounded on all sides as the metal army marched towards them chanting. "You will become like us." "You will become like us." "You will become like us."

"Why?" Raven screamed, and the machines stopped in unison. Okay, she didn't expect that, but it was buying them time so she decided to keep talking. "Why must we become like you?"

One Cyberman spoke. "You feel fear. Cybermen shall remove fear."

"I'm not scared!" Raven flared up.

"You feel anger, Cybermen will remove anger."

"Why?" She shouted again. "Why do you think I'd want to become like you?!"

"Do you… feel pain… do you know pain? Suffering? Emotional turmoil? Prejudice?" the monotone Cyberman asked.

"More than you know." Raven said out loud.

"Would you not want to live in a world without fear, without pain?" The Cyberman asked. "These things are cause by emotions, they cause unnecessary pain. They impair the logic circuits of the brain. They cause rash actions to be made, resulting in more 'unhappiness'."

Ravens face dropped. That was her philosophy alright, but she never expected to face a society built around it.

"We can remove them. All of them. Without emotions to hold you back, you will ascend and become productive to the ultimate cause."

"Yeah, to become like you and allow you to spread!" Armstrong challenged.

"Our society has no pain, it has no inequality, it has no sex, no class, no colour, no creed. No barriers that divide us. We cannot be persuaded, we cannot be divided, we are 'free' of our emotions. We have learnt that all life forms desire this, it is only because of their emotions that they fear us and our ways."

Raven considered this even further. It was like a perversion of her beliefs cranked up to eleven. Sure they had no inequality, but looking at them they had no individuality, they were all expected to be the same, to behave the same to look exactly the same and think exactly alike.

"You have no individuality?" Raven asked.

"Individuality invites barriers, invites clashes, invites arguments, invites disagreement. Cyber-rule must not be disagreed with!" The Cyberman talking to them reached out as if it could grab them, and all the Cybermen around it copied the movement. "We have achieved equality. Is that, not what you humans want?"

"By forcing others to obey you, and destroying those who wont?" Raven replied. "Yeah, I think I'll pass on your twisted brand of it."

"You have no choice, become like us or be destroyed." Between the Cybermens legs came something Raven couldn't understand because it looked so weird. It looked like a mass of insects, but moving like a silver liquid. It wasn't alive at all but she could sense its intention, and it was coming at them from both sides, advancing on them.

Thinking fast Raven did the only thing she could think of. She used her powers to de-stabilise the structure of the floor around both herself and Armstrong. A dark disk appeared beneath them and the pair dropped through the floor to the section below. The disk above them vanishing as it sealed.

They were now in a darker area of the ship, it was narrow and lit only by dim orange lights.

"What the heck was that thing? That Silver liquid?" Armstrong said getting up off the floor. Unlike Raven he didn't have any powers to catch himself as he fell and he'd hit the floor at full force. He tried to get up but as he put pressure on his left leg he squealed and fell to the floor.

"Sorry," Raven said slowly in a monotone as if she was forcing it out. She walked up to Armstrong, pressed her hands to his knee joint and with a burst of her powers healed his leg.

"Hey, pretty nifty. I didn't know you Time Lords had such neat powers." Armstrong said, getting to his feet and testing out his healed legs.

"To be honest. I'm not a Time Lord." Raven said getting up. "I'm a human, mostly. The Doctor is the only Time Lord on this ship."

Remembering about the TARDIS Ravens hands dived into the Doctors coat pockets again, desperate to find it.

"You're still amazing, you know that?" Armstrong said, and Raven got the uneasy feeling he was trying to flirt with her.

"Save it." Raven said, "My relationships with people don't tend to last." And her eyes began to glow to try to creep him out and ward him off this behaviour. But the guy looked to be more intrigued instead of frightened. She knew relationships wouldn't last because of her and who she is. She feared that the judgemental nature of anyone she was with would shine through eventually and burn her. She also secretly feared what she might do to them if they aggravated her and she lost control.

At last her fingers closed on the panelled Police Box and she pulled it from the Doctors pocket, holding it tightly in her hand. Now all they had to do was get out into an open space and return it to normal, get in, get the gold and work on defeating the Cybermen.

They both emerged through a door and into another corridor like the one they left above. Still only in the dimmed colours of the emergency lights.

Raven placed the TARDIS on the floor, stood back and prepared to reverse her spell. That was until the floor under the TARDIS suddenly gave way as if it had been ready to crack. Silver liquid spilt up from the hole and the small TARDIS sank into it like it was a deep puddle. Raven reached out to grab the TARDIS, or use her powers to pull it out, but she was too late. She felt its signature as it fell down into the bowels of the ship.

" _Raven!"_ Came the Doctors voice, _"I know what they're doing and… oh, I see you've already encountered it. Do not go near it!"_

"What is it?" Raven asked as she stepped back from the liquid as rising from the hole in the floor was yet another Cyberman. She glanced at Armstrong to let him know that the Doctor was back.

" _Cyber-nanos."_ The Doctor said, _"Nano-bots. They usually break apart whatever they find to build more of themselves. But the Cybermen were using them to turn both organic and inorganic material into Cybermen. Changing people both physically and mentally on physical contact, re-programming them with Cyberman instructions!"_

Raven went cold. That meant not long ago all those Cybermen they had encountered and ran from were probably the patients and security guards onboard this ship. That's what was probably in those canisters they had placed in the wards. Cyber-nanos.

"Doctor, you said they take apart everything in their path?" Raven said, her voice grave.

" _Yes, what of it?"_ the Doctor asked as if bracing himself for bad news.

"What about a TARDIS?"

" _Raven, you didn't let them get the TARDIS did you?"_ She just nodded as the Cyberman, covered in this Silver liquid stepped from a fresh hole in the floor.

Raven wanted the Doctor to tell her it was okay. That the TARDIS couldn't be ripped apart by nano-bots. _"With all that extra-material inside the TARDIS the nanos could..."_

"What. WHAT?!" Raven shouted, but the Doctor remained silent.

 _"Don't worry."_ He said. _"Everything is going to be alright."_

Why didn't Raven believe him?

* * *

 **To Be Continued…**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** Looks pretty hopeless doesn't it. :P

I remember there was one episode of Teen Titans that dealt with nano machines and Raven couldn't detect them. Which is why Raven can't sense the Cyber-nano machines here either.


	20. Chapter 19, Farewell to Arms

**Chapter 19**

 **Farewell to Arms**

Raven activated her powers and cast a wall of darkness that spread across the width of the room, and with a blast from her mind forced the Cyberman and the mass of Cyber-nanos back down the corridor, slamming them into the nearest wall and held them there.

With the threat gone Raven looked down the hole the Cyber-nanos had created. She could still sense the void signature of the TARDIS, but she could also sense it was under attack by the Cyber-nanos.

 _"We can't do anything about it now."_ The Doctor told her. _"Oh, the poor old girl. I just hope its quick for her."_ He sounded like it was the end for his beloved TARDIS. _"I take it you couldn't get the gold from it?"_

"We were a little busy, Doctor." Raven said, the stress of the situation showing clear in her voice. She shared as much information as she could about what had happened since he went quiet.

 _"Are you wearing my coat?"_ The Doctor asked.

 _Not the time!"_ Raven fired at him.

 _"No, no, no."_ The Doctor said, _"Look for a book called 'The Eye Spy book for Intergalactic Vessel spotters.'"_

Raven rummaged around in the coat pockets until she pulled a book out and held it up so she could see it. As could the Doctor.

 _"Ask your friend here."_ The Doctor said, referring to Armstrong.

 _He's called Armstrong._ She corrected. A _nd Wipe that look off your face._

 _"You can't see my face."_

 _I said 'wipe it off'!_

 _"Ask Armstrong what model and class this ship is, and turn to the correct page in the book."_

Raven asked and Armstrong said it was a "model 3 Olympic class star vessel. It used to be a cruise vessel before it was bought up and converted into a hospital ship." Quickly she spun through the pages. She told the Doctor to be silent, because he was trying to help her navigate the book, but he was more of a hindrance than a help.

She opened the book and focused on both pages. Raven could sense the Doctors brain scanning the book through her eyes faster than she ever could.

Suddenly there was a loud bang, followed by a crack as the floor buckled. Ravens attention was ripped from the book as the floor began to collapse. Quickly she grabbed Armstrong by the collar and levitated off the floor carrying him with her as more Cybermen punched their way through the floor.

Her concentration divided and she had to drop the Cyberman and the Nanos she was holding to the wall.

She carried Armstrong further down the corridor and set him down as an army of Cybermen pulled themselves from the floor.

 _"Wait, stop. I want to test a hypothesis."_ The Doctor said.

"What? WHAT?!" Raven screamed rising panic in her voice.

 _"Can you pull atoms free from bonded metal?"_ The Doctor asked.

"I can try. What do you want me to do?" Raven asked.

 _"Basic chemistry. What do you do to prevent rust?"_

"NOW'S NOT THE TIME FOR A CHEMISTRY LESSON!" Raven shouted as more Cybermen popped up from the floor and began advancing towards them. "Tell me what to do or I turn around and run up the stairs."

 _"Zinc."_ The Doctor continued and the Cybermen and Cyber-nanos got close and closer. _"You bond Zinc to metal to stop it rusting, and what is Zinc? Its in the same block of elements as Gold, but its also non-corrodable like gold and forms a fine powder. Maybe it'll have a similar effect to the Cybermen as gold does. So..."_

His words were interrupted as Armstrong pointed the canister of sealant he'd picked up earlier and sprayed it at the floor at the feet of an advancing Cyberman. The sealant gunked up its legs, and as Armstrong rose the hose higher up to point it at the Cybermans chest unit Raven could sense it began to suffocate as foam covered it.

 _"Or you could do that."_ The Doctor said. Had he been so fixated on coming up with a clever solution he didn't spot the simple one at his feet?! _"It'll slow them down, not stop them."_ The Doctor said, trying to regain some composure. _"Get to the stairs, get inside, and use your powers to send a blast of energy down the walls of this corridor. Olympic class Space vessels used Zinc paint to prevent rust. Lets see what Zinc dust does to the Cybermen."_

Raven did as instructed, turning and running down the corridor, to the stairs and slamming the door behind her.

"And we need to be in here, why, exactly?" Raven asked.

 _"Because Zinc is toxic to you too."_ the Doctor said.

"Its difficult to follow a conversation when you can only hear one side of it." Armstrong said.

Raven stood back from the door, reached out both physically and mentally. She splayed her fingers and activated her powers. She could see through the door window that the walls all around the corridor were being covered in her dark energy.

 _"Now, send a pulse of energy down those walls, enough to liberate the paint and zinc from the walls. Just enough, we don't want to actually damage the walls."_ The Doctor instructed.

 _Doctor, I'm trying to concentrate, shut up!_

 _"Alright."_

Raven focused again, the Doctors coat and her cloak bellowed out as power escaped her, and she sent just enough of a pulse down the walls that the paint and zinc coating were ejected off them, creating a dusty cloud in the corridor.

A Cyberman appeared at the door and was about to punch his way through. But he stopped. He began clawing at a grill in his chest unit. It sounded like it had trouble breathing. Raven could sense the Cybermen up and down the corridor. They were choking, and a lot of their effective menace was now gone. But they weren't dying, just coughing, and without clear oxygen to their brains their minds weren't functioning effectively.

 _"Not as effective as gold."_ The Doctor said. _"But it slows them down."_

"Yeah, the only problem being 'we' can't breathe in that mist either." Raven said.

"Did the Doctor come up with that?" Armstrong asked.

"Maybe," Raven said, she subtly smiled as she heard the Doctor indignantly say. _"What do you mean' maybe'?"_

* * *

Raven sensed that the area above them was swarming with Cybermen, and they were coming down the stairs after them. So they retreated down to the lower levels. Raven decided against teleporting for a simple reason. She couldn't sense these Cyber-nano's, at all, they were invisible to her. If she tried to teleport and she landed them in a place where the nanos were, then they were done for. So she decided to save her teleportation ability as a last resort and instead resorted to moving around the ship the old fashioned way.

Armstrong called in to the Captain about what they had discovered. About the Cybermen, the Cyber-nanos and how dangerous they were. By the sound of it, it seemed that the nano bots had already gotten to almost a quarter of the ship already.

For safety reasons all emergency blast doors were closed to isolate the nano-machines. But that didn't seem to stop them. They just burrowed through until the door collapsed, making more of themselves as they ate. The blast doors would be no worry for Raven since she could pass through the doors as easily as if they were air.

All guards were now armed with canisters of sealant to slow the Cybermen and the Cyber-nanos down, but it was a slowly losing battle. The Cybermen were still winning. Whats more they were fighting dirty by shutting off the heating system allowing the ship to gradually get colder. This was an act of psychological warfare. The Cybermen may not be ruled by emotion, but everyone else was, and physical extremes could drastically effect performance.

Raven and Armstrong emerged into the bowels of the ship and planned to walk across it to the Starboard side, and climb back up. They were both wary and on the lookout for Cybermen, or any moving, silver liquid.

"So if you're not a Time Lord, what exactly are you?" Armstrong asked.

"A human, mostly." Raven replied, not giving him the true answer of being half demon.

"How did you learn these nifty powers?" Armstrong asked.

"I was born with them?" Raven said simply. She was putting an inflection in her voice to tell him she wasn't interested in talking about it.

"Are you unique, or do all humans have powers where you come from?"

"I'm a... special case." she said. Armstrong opened his mouth to ask another question but Raven decided to verbally bite him. "Look, I'm not interested in talking about myself, okay." she said to him, "And I'm not interested in you! Please stop it, just stop it!" Armstrong looked hurt and he turned away from her.

 _"Rather harsh wasn't that?"_ The Doctor asked.

 _Don't you get involved! I'm stressed enough as it is!_ She wanted to end it there, but her mind kept chattering. _I keep telling you, I'm not a people person, I'm a danger to him and everyone I get close to. I am a monster, its better if I remain alone._

 _"Are you telling me that to convince me, or yourself?"_

 _I said 'shut it'!_ She fired back.

Armstrong screamed suddenly as his foot disappeared into the grating of the floor, and silver liquid began pouring up from the hole.

Raven leapt into the air, and levitated. She grabbed onto Armstrongs arm and pulled him free. They flew down the corridor and landed a little ways away from the silver puddle of Nano-bots that was gathering strength again to come after them. Raven felt Armstrong getting heavier and heavier and eventually she had to drop to the floor.

Landing, she tried to pull Armstrong to his feet, but his feet weren't his own anymore. They were clad in a metallic material and his joints were reforming into metal pistons.

Raven dropped his hand and stepped back in horror from him. He reached out, pleading in his eyes as Raven watched his form begin to change. One of his eyes sunk in and became a dark disk into his skull. Tubes began sprouting from his body. His shoulders became broader. A handlebar was growing from one side of his head and his clothes were vanishing to slowly turn into the chest units that allow a Cyberman to breathe. He was also in pain, great, great, pain because half of his organs were halfway to being turned into Cyberman parts.

Raven began to shake, Armstrong was dying, those tiny terrors were ripping him apart and... and... and...

She felt angry, very, very angry. A surge of power erupt from her core. Armstrong was encased in dark energy and manipulating it with her hands Raven inverted the power, catching all the nano-machines she could from his body inside a now forming orb of dark energy before she flung them off into the distance.

Her rage taking control of her she stepped past Armstrong, projected more dark energy onto the floor. She waited for the Nano-bots to gather inside the darkness before she wrapped them up in it like a cloth and she flung them into the walls, the ceiling, the floor. Up, down and all around as she tried to destroy them. She wanted to crush them, but that wasn't possible for some reason. So she did something she didn't realise she was even capable of. She manipulated the electrons in their tiny metallic bodies and gave them enough energy to spark and break free, causing a lightning storm within that fried all the Nano-machines.

She continued at it, long after she was convinced the Nano's were destroyed just to vent the energy and her emotions. She then let the smouldering heap drop to the floor and the ball fell apart like dust.

Raven spun on her heel and returned to Armstrong. He was half man, half Cyberman and Raven could sense he was in pain, terrible pain. He moaned, his one human eye crying rivers. Half of his organs and body parts had been turned into plastics and metals and his body was going into shock. He was in so much pain, and it rang and echoed within her own mind.

"Doctor!" Raven cried, "This can be reversed right? We can change him back?" The Doctor was silent. "Doctor, talk to me!" She commanded. "Tell me what I have to do to save him? Please!"

 _"I'm sorry."_ The Doctor said, and that's all he said.

"What do you mean, 'sorry'? Tell me to do something!" But again silence. "Doctor, please. Save him. Tell me how I can save him!" Silence. She reached up to her head and groaned in frustration with the Time Lord.

"Kill me." It was Armstrong, his voice was weak and had the bubbling metallic tones of a Cyberman echoing from down his throat. "Please, kill me."

Raven looked down at him, he was shaking, his eyes were scared. She just shook her head, that she couldn't do. Tears welled in her eyes, but she wouldn't cry.

"I will not become like them!" Armstrong said defiantly, "I will not be forced to become a soulless machine in their society." He was reaching up to her now. "Please, kill me."

But she couldn't do it. She'd always said she'd never be responsible for anyone's death, unless it was her fathers.

"That's what I was born to do." Raven admitted. "To kill people. To kill everyone. My father is a monster. He wants to use me to destroy the universe, and every living creature in it. Even you."

After admitting this Raven wanted to turn around, to run away, to leave Armstrong to die alone and save herself the emotional grief. But her limbs refused to move. She just stared at him.

A laugh escaped Armstrong "My mother was a nasty piece of work too. Or she became one." Armstrong said struggling to speak, "Controlling, manipulative, xenophobic, she hated aliens. My father died in the war you see. She wanted me to join the army just to avenge my fathers death. But I refused. I side stepped into the guard profession to get away from what my mother wanted me to become. She died alone, with nothing but bitterness in her heart."

Raven knelt beside him. Despite her brain yelling at her to, _Stop being soft._ Her heart and body told her otherwise. She gathered the poor boy up in her arms. He wasn't long for this world now.

"Ever visited the beach on Orbia?" he asked, Raven shook her head, not knowing what to say. "It's a beautiful place. Our family used to holiday there, when I was a kid, back when we were a family. We were happier then. I wish I could go back to how things were."

A lump formed in Ravens throat. She didn't know why Armstrong was telling her this. It was meaningless to her. But he was dying, so she let him speak. These were his last words and she wanted to respect them. She swallowed and decided to do something. It was a pointless something, a meaningless something in the grand scheme of things, but it would be a nice something.

She placed her hands over his eyes, gently said her chimes, and she used her powers to numbed the pain and force Armstrong to go to sleep. But she felt that this wasn't enough, she wanted to do more for him. So she went a step further and forced his dying brain to forget the real world forever, and instead for its last few moments she dragged up a memory of his, a memory of him and his family on the beach on Orbia, and she wove that memory into a dream for him, a dream of a happier day. A dream he'll continue to live until darkness claims him.

* * *

He was dead, and Raven laid the body down on the ground. She was aware Cybermen were stomping around. Coming down the stairs, trying to get her, but she just didn't feel like moving.

She'd barely known Armstrong, but even in this short a time she had developed a connection with him, and now it was gone, and she felt empty. She should've been able to prevent that. She should be able to let go? What kind of Azarathian Monk was she if the death of a total stranger she'd known for only a few hours could affect her so badly? _  
_

_Yeah, someone I thought liked me._ Her mind said, she just let it chatter in her head, not caring to keep control of it. _Someone I thought might have really been into me; and instead I pushed him away, I made him feel unwelcome, I was scared of what he might think of me and... I... I... I let him die. But at least I didn't leave him to die alone._

The Doctor was respectfully silent. She really didn't want to hear anyone right now, least of all the Doctor. But she appreciated his silence, even if he was still privy to her every thought.

Something telepathically screeched at her angrily and she jumped back up so fast it might have been an angry shout from her own mother.

In the dirt of dead Cyber-nanos. There was something sitting in it. It's windows and signs glowing brightly, the light flashing as if to attract her attention. It was the TARDIS!

Raven quickly crawled over to it and picked it up, and held the matchbox sized vessel in her hands. It had survived? Why hadn't the Nano's taken it apart like everything else?

 _"Good question."_ The Doctor said, breaking his silence.

BANG!

The door Raven and Armstrong had come through burst open and four Cybermen stomped through.

"Halt. You will become like us. You want to be come like us!" the leader said.

Anger bubbled in her mind and she used her power to rip a pipe from a nearby wall, spraying steam out as she held it in the air like a spear. "SCREW YOU!" she shouted and fired the pipe directly at the Cyberman's chest unit, and it skewered all four of them before jamming them into the stairway wall. Now, grabbing the wall plates with her powers, she reached out and with her splayed fingers she mimicked a crushing motion, and the dark energy warped the plates off the wall and wrapped them around the Cybermen and began squeezing them together, compacting them down like a trash compactor would.

But then a blob of silver liquid dropped down from the ceiling onto the mangled Cybermen and appeared to be breaking down the wall and reforming the crushed Cyborgs back into functioning Cybermen.

With the TARDIS in her hands Raven turned back to Armstrong. She didn't think Armstrong would want these Cyber-nanos to use any part of him to build more Cybermen, so she focused her powers on his body and with a heavy heart she felt his atoms fly apart as he crumbled to dust.

Now hugging the TARDIS to her, forgetting she had the Doctors coat on, she ran for the other side and ascended the stairs, practically flying up them using her powers.

 _"Raven, get back to my body. I have an idea. But you might need to be close to my brain for it to work."_

"What? What scheme have you dreamt up now?" Raven asked verbally and angrily.

 _"The Nano's didn't attack the TARDIS, they couldn't. The atoms were too tightly crushed together for them to pull apart, that's why the TARDIS survived, because you shrank it."_

"Wait, are you going to ask me to...?" But the Doctor interrupted her.

 _"Yes. With my help, hopefully you can... minus the nanos, shrink this whole ship and everyone inside it."_

"You are nuts!"

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** And so everything starts to come together. ;)

Originally I wasn't going to let Armstrong die. But I feel Raven needs to experience death on a more personal level, and surviving Cyber-attack after Cyber-attack with someone who fancies you is one way to build a connection. Of course I had to rip it away from her, I kind of felt guilty for doing it, but Raven can't have nice things, not this early in her life, anyway.

If I had planned ahead to kill Armstrong I would've gotten him and Raven to connect together a lot more. But looking back at the past few chapters I think with the way Raven is she wouldn't have wanted to develop any connection. But I guess this is just a lesson to her that she isn't as emotionless nor as heartless as she likes to pretend to be.


	21. Chapter 20, A Demon in the making

**Chapter 20**

 **A Demon in the making.**

The Doctor was clearly nuts! Did he not understand what he was asking her to do? It was incredibly risky and dangerous, not just to the ship, but to herself too.

"You want me to shrink this entire ship? Minus the Cyber-nano-bots?" Raven echoed sceptically.

 _"Yes."_ the Doctor said simply.

"Would I have to be in it?" she asked.

 _"Preferably yes, why?"_

"The spell is simple, but do you know how hard it is to cast a spell on both myself and the world around me at the same time?" Raven said. "I don't even think I have the concentration to shrink just the whole ship."

 _"Ah ha"_ the Doctor said mysteriously.

"Ah ha, what?" she asked, getting a little irritated at these games.

 _"That's where I come in. If I can link my own brain to yours then perhaps you can use portions of my brain as an aid so you can take this whole five mile long hulk and reduce it down to a manageable size._ _From there, the Cyber-nano's should be harmless to us as the atoms around them would be too strongly bonded to break apart._ _"_

"What about the Cybermen outside?" Raven asked, "they'll be giants, and they can crush the ship."

 _"That's where stage two comes in. With the ship much smaller you should be able to use your powers and nudge it a few light years out of the way, and out of the reach of the Cybermen."_ The Doctor explained.

"You're putting a lot of faith in my abilities." Raven stated, she wasn't sure if she had that much faith in her abilities herself.

 _"That's because I know you can do it."_ the Doctor added encouragingly.

"Do I really need to shrink myself too?" Raven asked as if this was a concern to her. She didn't like the idea of being 'small'. It implied helplessness and she hated being helpless.

 _"Why is that a concern to you?"_ the Doctor asked.

"Because I've never cast this spell on myself before. The spell is simple, but I need total focus to shrink myself, or something could go wrong. Especially with a five mile long ship and its inhabitants added into the equation." Raven said, worry was clear in her voice.

She sensed the TARDIS grumble in her hands. She lifted it up to herself and looked directly at its front doors. "Don't you start. The only danger is when a spell caster casts the spell on themselves, not other..." she wanted to say more, but caught herself and realised what she was doing. Closing her eyes she inhaled deeply and blew it out. "and I'm talking to this stupid box again!"

 _"Raven, relax. That's why I'll be with you, we'll share the burden and the feedback should make it safer for you."_

"You're making that up!" Raven accused.

 _"Well,"_ the Doctor said _"It's either you take a chance with your spell, or effectively become enslaved to your own philosophy under the Cybermen."_

* * *

Sighing Raven returned to the medical bay to find the Doctors body.

Along the way she came across some stray Cybermen, but no Cyber-Nanos, yet. The strays she dispatched easily by using her powers to briefly open a portal to the Universe outside and she watched as the Cybermen flew out like rag dolls as the pressure escaped. Raven was able to hold her position thanks to her powers. When the portal sealed the hull integrity was restored.

She literally passed through a few doors and walls like a ghost before finally emerging through a wall into the medical bay. Some of the aliens jumped out of her way in fright as she suddenly appeared walking through a dark portal.

As she walked towards the Doctors body she caught her reflection in a glass door of a cabinet next to the Doctors still form. She looked at herself in the Doctors coat.

 _"It suits you."_ The Doctor said.

She decided not to verbally agree or disagree, but she liked it too. Pulling her eyes away from her attire she returned her attention to the Doctor and she placed the TARDIS down on the table beside his stretcher.

Dr. Wood was nowhere to be seen. Which was probably for the best because he'd probably protest as Raven removed the apparatus from the Doctors head, sat down beside him and placed the tips of her fingers at his temples.

 _"Contact."_ The Doctor said, as he made contact with her. For some reason she found herself also muttering, "Contact," and their minds joined.

To Raven it was as if a small world she had been used to had suddenly blown out its walls to reveal an even larger space next door to hers. She'd been inside the Doctors mind, but never actually joined to it like this.

"Don't get used to it." the Doctor said. She could hear just his voice now without the echos of his past incarnations. "You're just borrowing this."

Raven felt like she could do anything with this brain at her fingertips. She could certainly shrink the ship with this potential, but why stop there? She could crush a planet, put out a star, anything was possible while she was connected to a Time Lord brain.

"Raven, focus!" but she felt like she was lost at sea, lost in the maelstrom of it all.

"Rae-rae!" the Doctor called. That brought her attention to bare on him.

"Don't call me that!" she shouted.

"Got your attention though." the Doctor chuckled. "Can you shrink the ship?"

"Oh yes," she said. Her voice just oozed with admiration as she felt how deep she could reach into the well that was her powers with this extra brain power. "I can shrink the ship." she smiled at the feeling of this power as it washed over her. She felt utterly relaxed and ready to do anything. "How small? A shoe box? A match box? Smaller?"

"Just the size of a cricket pitch will do." the Doctor said, there was worry in his face "Raven are you feeling alright?"

Raven mentally shook her head. "Yeah, I'm fine. I... just felt a little weird for a second."

"Good, now I want you to concentrate. Reach out for the whole ship." the Doctor instructed.

"Just as long as you remain focused on me!" Raven said. This whole thing depended on the counterbalance of their minds. "I don't want to be crushed when the ship shrinks around me."

"Fair enough." the Doctors said.

"And I don't want to end up smaller than I should be!" Raven said pointedly.

"What's it matter? We're going to return everything to normal afterwards."

"Doctor!" Raven said forcibly.

"Okay, I'll do my best." the Doctor said mentally shrugging.

"Doctor, I will murder you if you get this wrong." Raven said. "Promise me you'll get it right!"

Mentally she got the image of the Doctor holding out his small finger from a closed fist and mentally he looped it around one of her own small fingers. "I promise" he said. _What a stupid gesture to show trust! Where did he pick it up from?_ Putting that out of her mind she focused her mind out and cast her powers over the ship.

"Remember, a cricket pitch." the Doctor prompted.

"I KNOW!" Raven fired back at him. In reality she didn't know how big a cricket pitch would be, but she understood the relative size he was going for.

She sensed the black energy radiated out around her slowly and began to cover the whole ship. Forwards, backwards, up and down. The entire ship was cast in her power. Then all of the people around her, the crew, the aliens, the Doctor, and the Cybermen. The Cybermen were necessary because they'll damage the ship as it shrank around them if she left them. She excluded the Cyber-nano's from this process though.

She had everyone within her powers, and now she felt the power apply to her as the Doctor focused entirely on her form, trusting the Doctor could handle this simple spell.

Raven said her chimes, mentally adopted the correct hand gestures and cast her spell, the Doctor reflecting a small part of it back at her.

She felt a sensation like she was falling. Her stomach felt like it was lifting up and became weightless. She nearly lost concentration, but she redoubled her focus as she felt everything start to reduce down, including herself. Her brain felt a little numb, and her eyes felt like they hurt, but she pressed on.

"Here, I don't half feel odd." Raven heard the nosy woman say. "Here, what's that?"

Whoops, Raven forgot to include the TARDIS in her spell, to the patients it was ballooning up on the table she'd left it on, and the table broke eventually under the TARDIS' weight. She waited until the TARDIS was at the correct scale for her and she knew to stop. Perfect.

"Now, here comes the tricky bit." the Doctor said, "cast a teleportation portal and follow my mind to where it should come out." Raven did as instructed. "Now, force the ship through it, quick!"

Raven could sense the bodies of giant Cybermen baring down on the now smaller craft. But with a swift kick of her powers the ship was sent forwards, through a portal and into a different sector of space. Once they emerged Raven dropped her powers and her head fell forwards onto the Doctors chest, panting for breath. All that had really taken the energy out of her.

She freaked out as a hand touched her head and she pulled back sharply. The Doctor was there, smiling at her, "Well done" he said.

His mind was healed and he was back in control of his own body. _You can't hear me can you, Doctor?_ No response, their minds were separated. _Thank goodness._

"Oh, Raven I'm sorry. I'm so terribly sorry." the Doctor said, and Raven felt suddenly very worried.

"What?" she asked, panic in her voice. She stood up and looked at herself up and down.

"It's my fault. I'm afraid you're a little taller by a few inches." the Doctor smiled, it wasn't bad news at all. He just made it sound worse. _That irritating son of a...!_

"I can live with that." She said instead and looked at the Doctor, her eyes didn't smile but her mouth did, a little.

* * *

The Doctor was up, back in his frock coat, and back in action. He began looking around as if he expected the world to be different somehow. Though it didn't look like it, the ship and everyone on board it were now reduced greatly in size. If the TARDIS was once the size of a match box then that gave Raven an idea of the scale they were now on.

"Oh, good. Your uncle's recovered." the nosy woman said.

"Uncle?" the Doctor asked smiling.

"Don't ask." Raven said staring daggers at him.

"Here, did you get taller?" the woman asked, but Raven ignored her. They had more important things to talk about.

"Ugh, I can tell I'm doll sized." The Doctor said, feeling his stomach. "I always get a queasy feeling when it happens."

"This has happened to you before?" Raven asked.

"A number of times." The Doctor said, stretching his limbs out. "I always feel cramped afterwards. You know, this is like being in a mini-scope again." Raven decided not to ask what he meant by that. It was probably some adventure he'd had many life times ago.

"Right!" The Doctor announced and he opened the medical bay door and strolled out towards a wall mounted console to contact the bridge.

"Captain..." he turned to Raven, "What was her name again?"

"I never asked." Raven shrugged.

"This is Captain Jannos," came a voice, "Please identify."

"I am the Doctor, you've met my apprentice, Raven." the Doctor announced and Raven stamped him on the foot for making that up.

"Oh god, more Time Lords." Captain Jannos said.

"Listen, if you haven't noticed we've been nudged a good few light-years outside of the Cybermens influence." the Doctor said.

"I'll say. We're halfway across the sector now!" Captain Jannos said.

"Oh, whoops" the Doctor said, clearly they were further than he'd intended. "Well, you can arrive early then and impress everyone. Listen, you may have experienced something weird just now."

"You're telling me," Captain Jannos said, "a dozen giant rats have appeared all over the ship, and they're attacking the Cybermen."

The Doctor looked at Raven, her eyes were wide and all she could think to do was shrug and say "Whoops." She never included the ships rodents in her spell either.

"Is that girl with you?" Captain Jannos asked, "Where's Armstrong?"

That brought the mood to a crashing halt for Raven. She looked at the Doctor asking him through her body language to tell the Captain himself.

"I'm afraid, Private Armstrong didn't make it." the Doctor said, "I'm sorry."

The Captain's mood was a little sombre. "He was a good man, and dedicated. But lets not make his sacrifice in-vain."

"Excellent," the Doctor said, "Now listen, the Cyber-nanos can't create more Cybermen while we're this small." The Doctor explained what he'd done, though instead of telling them Raven did it with her powers he conjured some rubbish about using the TARDIS 'dimensional stabiliser' and used the TARDIS to nudge the ship further along its course. The Captain shouted at the Doctor for doing this to her ship, but the Doctor just seemed to ignore her and take it in his stride.

"Listen, the Cyber-Nanos can be contained now. They can't break down any doors. The bonds of the atoms are too strong now, and they can't make any more of themselves. But they might still be dangerous, and obviously the Cybermen are still dangerous too. But the Cybermen can be easily dealt with later. Our biggest concern are the Cyber-nanos, and I have a plan to deal with them."

Raven suddenly remembered about the gold dust she was supposed to collect from the TARDIS. So leaving the Doctor to discuss things with Captain Jannos she went back into the ward, removed the key from under her broach and stuck it in the lock.

Her hand yanked back as the machine gave her a sharp shock that was strong enough to travel up and down her body. She shuddered and waited for the sensation to stop. It wasn't painful, but it was unpleasant.

She looked at the box and got the sense it was looking at her. "Settled?" she asked it, guessing that was payback for shrinking it in the first place. There was a click and the door opened by itself.

Raven extracted her key and stepped inside. She wasn't gone for long. She immediately stepped back out of the box both gobsmacked and annoyed at what she had just seen. Standing back she looked at the TARDIS again and raised her eyebrow. "Funny!" she said, getting the feeling the TARDIS was laughing at her.

Raven may have shrank the TARDIS outer shell, but that's all she'd shrank. The interior was still it's proper proportions and Raven had just walked out of a console room designed to be lived in by a person over fifty times her size.

"Okay, if you want to play games." Raven said as she activated her powers again. It's time for the interior to match, she could always change it back later. Her arms adopted the correct positions and prepared to cast.

"Oh poppet, could you just hold onto Corentin for a second. Thanks." and without prompting the nosy woman dumped her baby into Ravens arms. This disrupted where her power was going as the focus shifted from the TARDIS to the sleeping baby. Suddenly she felt her energy connect to the babys and she felt herself dive forwards. Into this boys future.

Fire, destruction, screaming. She looked around, buildings were crumbling, explosions were going off everywhere, the ground littered with the bodies of the dead and at the centre of it all was this boy, this man. His face battle scarred and worn. His left eye was missing, instead there was a patch. His body was bulky and covered in scars, his face was bloody and had a look of utter menace on it. This man was a warmonger, he'd found ways to make profit from the blood he spilt and he'd cause so much pain, suffering and unhappiness in the name of profit. He walked freely in the fires of chaos he'd caused. People fled at his foot falls. People were murdered at his very command. Children told stories about him, he was a bogeyman who'd come to get them. He'd destroy millions, lead millions to their deaths, humans and aliens alike, and Raven held this unstoppable demon in her arms at this very moment, as a vulnerable little baby. A vulnerable little baby that could so easily be killed.

Her powers dissipated and she was back in the real world just as the nosy woman plucked the sleeping child from her grasp.

"Thank you kindly, deary." The nosy woman said holding her baby as if it wasn't going to become evil and kill millions. The woman looked at Raven and spotted the expression on her face. "Are you okay, poppet? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Trembling and with the TARDIS forgotten, Raven turned on her heel and ran from the room, and physically bumped into the Doctor as he came to find her.

"Hello, have somewhere you needed to be?" the Doctor asked smiling.

"I..." Raven began, but didn't mention what she'd just seen. The Doctor's smile faded. "...I went into the TARDIS and..." she paused.

"It was much, much bigger on the inside than usual?" the Doctor asked laughing, Raven just nodded. There was something in the Doctors expression that told her he was suspicious, as if that shouldn't cause her to feel such distress. Raven decided to press on with it instead of describing to the Doctor what she'd just seen in that baby's future.

"How do we get the Gold dust? Will it even work at that size?" Raven asked.

"Hardly matters, I know how we can easily deal with the Cybermen, later." The Doctor said mysteriously. "What we need to sort out are the Cyber-nano-bots, they're the first hurdle to get over before we can defeat the Cybermen."

"Okay," Raven said glad to be talking about anything else. "Any ideas?"

"Ever played fetch before?" The Doctor asked, again mysteriously.

"Does this require me to be bait again?" Raven asked, and gave the Doctor a look that said if anyone was going to be bait, then it was going to be him this time.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** I've established plenty of things that are going to be relevant in later chapters/adventures. ;)


	22. Chapter 21, Everything Changed

**Chapter 21**

 **Everything changed.**

The Doctors plan did not involve bait as such, and it was still rather clever. Instead of spelling it out however the Doctor instead led Raven down to his conclusion by providing her with data. As they walked around the ship the Doctor pointed at random objects and told her to eject them into space.

"The Cyber-nano's want to consume matter. They hunger for it because its part of their primary programming." The Doctor explained. "But, we're all too small, our atoms too tightly packed to take apart."

"So we need something that's still its original size?" Raven asked as a couch disappeared through a dark disk that formed beneath it.

"Ah, or something we can return to normal." the Doctor said, pointing at a locker and it too vanished into darkness. "I assume you can return stuff to their normal size?"

"With a snap of my fingers." Raven said confidently.

"So what we do is throw useless stuff off the ship. Chairs, cabinets, tables, televisions, those tedious waiting room magazines. Those ones by the way." He pointed at a table of magazines and they vanished. "You return them to their normal size and the Cyber-Nanos will want to get out and go on a feeding frenzy." The Doctor explained. "Hopefully a few centuries in isolation with no extra resources means they'll eventually run down, if the radiation doesn't get them first."

"And these Nano-bots will just go out their into danger to consume a resource until their deaths?" Raven questioned.

"Its the path your species started walking the moment it became reliant on a carbon chain rich mineral slime for its development. Its just a good thing you stopped before you destroyed yourselves." The Doctor said. Raven didn't know what the Doctor was talking about, but she guessed it meant that he believed the Cyber-nanos would exploit the resource regardless of the dangers.

The Doctor had passed this instruction on to the Captain, and she'd organised her crew so those not engaging the Cybermen were loading none-essential medical equipment into the air locks to be ejected out. The more stuff they had floating around out there, the more 'tasty' it would be for the Cyber-nanos. His words, not hers.

Captain Jannos had also passed out canisters of spray paint to her crew, specifically the paint that contained zinc. The apparatus they used to carry the canisters with was supposed to be used for painting the outside of the ship. Now they were being used as a weapon. It wouldn't kill the Cybermen but it does give them breathing problems, distracting them so they could be bypassed. But that didn't make the Cybermen less of a danger if they got their hands on you.

The Doctor and Raven came to a closed bulkhead and could see into the corridor beyond. A silver liquid was sloshing around in there trying to get out but remained contained. Cybermen appeared at the glass and began pounding on it, but the liquid it tried to move through drastically slowed them down meaning they couldn't punch with enough force to break the door down.

Unfortunately breaking the door had not been its plan. But breaking the glass was. With a heavy impact the glass began to crack. Quickly Raven tried to use her powers to reform the metal of the door and press it together.

But it was too late, the glass was broken just enough to allow a small torrent through before Raven closed the gap.

There was now a silver puddle in the corridor and it was snaking towards them.

"Why am I getting flashes of Deja vu?" the Doctor said. "I'm sure I ran away from a Silver Snake before, and I was in a hospital too."

Raven cast a black wall in front of them as the Silver Liquid suddenly leapt at them and it impacted the barrier. Through her dark energy Raven could usually see the outline of things highlighted in white. On the other side of her barrier she could see the Silver Liquid as what looked like static on a TV. Highlighting the millions of Nano-bots that made up the liquid.

There was a creak as the blast door the liquid had escaped through began to buckle.

"Oh no, they're getting clever." The Doctor said and grabbed Raven by the arm and pulled her away. She was about to teleport them both but she wouldn't have had time to concentrate on a destination as the door burst open and a torrent of Silver Liquid chased them down the corridor.

"What can this stuff do to us, Doctor?" Raven asked.

"I don't know, but I'd rather not stop to find out, do you?" He asked rhetorically.

Raven sensed what was above and below them. More Cybermen and the way they were floating around she guessed they were in a sea of Cyber-nano's too. So they were stuck on this level.

They rounded a corner and had to step over some weird looking coil of steel Raven realised was a discarded paper clip she neglected to shrink. As she looked back she saw the Cyber-Nano's devour it within seconds.

Raven used that to their advantage. Whatever she passed something small that she had previously shrank, she focused and quickly undid the spell and the objects ballooned back up. More paper clips, loose paper, a syringe that had been dropped in the evacuation. The Cyber-Nano's kept getting distracted by the sudden appearance of matter they could break apart.

Watching this made Raven realise that the Doctors plan might work. These Nano's were intent on catching them but the moment it found matter it changed priorities.

Outside a window she could see a countless stream of objects that had been dumped overboard, and quickly she used her powers on a couple to undo her spell. The cabinet and couch suddenly blew up back to enormous proportions compared to the ship and the Nanos were interested at first, before deciding their quarry was a more reasonable target since they couldn't get out of the ship.

"Doctor, wait" Raven said, pulling back on him as they came to an air lock, one that already had its exterior lock jammed open from the opposite side, the interior one was still closed though. They passed and Raven pulled the Doctor to a stop. She then conjured a dark wall across the corridor and the Cyber-Nano's slammed into it, but didn't have the strength to break it down.

Dividing her concentration Raven then activated the door control for the air lock and its inner door hissed open. The atmosphere, or what was left of it was evacuated, taking a sizeable chunk of the Cyber-Nano's with it. Some held on as the atmosphere vanished beyond her dark wall, but it seemed to reconsider and realised it now had access to matter and slinked out the air lock.

With the job done Raven closed the air lock and dropped her shield.

"It worked!" the Doctor said excitedly and clapped his hands together.

"The logic was sound." Raven commented.

"Logic, there's irony" the Doctor commented.

* * *

Raven stood in an empty medical ward with the Doctor and concentrated, she waved her hands in magical gestures as she reached out, finding all the floating objects in space and mentally undid her shrinking spell on them, one by one. The ship was now surrounded by objects that looked far too big. Chairs, lamps, pads, computers, TV's, beds, papers, magazines.

"I hope the local council doesn't discover this." the Doctor said, "The littering fine would cripple me." He joked.

"The Cybermen know somethings up." Captain Jannos said through a wall communicator.

"They're not stupid," the Doctor said, "They'll know what we're doing even if they can't work out how we're doing it."

"They're damaging the air locks, I guess to keep them closed." Captain Jannos said.

"They wanted to recover these Nanos, they're not about to let them go now." The Doctor commented as Raven undid the spell on a dish and a spoon in the void outside.

Suddenly she sensed something, below.

Without thinking and before she'd even contemplated what was about to happen she screamed "Doctor, move!" and she pushed him aside and he fell over. An arm punched up through the floor and grabbed Raven's ankle. It held on so tight she thought it'd break it, and what felt like a million volts went straight through her body from the arm. The Doctor looked at her in horror from the floor as Raven screamed.

* * *

"You are the Doctor." Said the voice of a Cyberman. It was the first thing to re-enter Ravens consciousness.

"Indeed, I am." the Doctor said. "You must be the Cyber-leader, I presume?"

"You presume correct, Doctor."

Raven was aware they had been moved. She was also aware there were several Cybermen around both her and the Doctor. Pretending to still be unconscious Raven focused and continued to undo the spells on the objects outside. But she was ready in case the Cybermen tried something, and she half listened to the Doctor's conversation.

"I do not understand how you have reduced everything, Doctor." The Cyber-leader said. "But logic dictates it has something to do with you."

"A Cyberman making assumptions, how illogical of you." the Doctor mocked.

"It is a logical assumption given your species level of technology." the Cyber-leader said. "You will undo this alteration to the ship and ourselves."

"Can't, sorry." The Doctor said, "because I didn't do it." He sounded like he was choosing his words carefully.

"That... is a truthful response." Though the Cyber-leader's voice was emotionless it sounded surprised.

"Do you want to know how it was done?" the Doctor asked mysteriously, the Cybermen didn't speak as Raven sensed the Doctor pull a playing card from up his sleeve, but did it so quickly it looked like it had just appeared. "It was magic."

"That... is a truthful response?" the Cyber-leader questioned. "Impossible, illogical, you are lying or delusional."

 _Keep undoing the spell on the things outside Raven._ The Doctor sent her telepathically. He didn't need to tell her, she was already doing it.

"You're just showing your limited imagination again." the Doctor commented.

"Imagination is irrelevant." The Cyber-leader said, "You still have the technology to undo this change."

"And if I don't, you'll kill me, or my companion?" the Doctor finished, "I've had these conversations before. I know how they end. I can read you all like a book. I know, for example, we're going to get into another debate about emotions and 'how useless they are and impair the logical circuits, blah, blah, blah.'"

"You still stand in our way, Doctor. Emotions cause nothing but pain to other creatures. It is better that they be removed." the Cyber-leader said.

"In all my years I never thought I'd hear your mission statement be put across to sound angelic." the Doctor laughed. "You're like a cult who says 'We'll protect you from the scary world outside. Join us and you won't have to think for yourselves. Learn our ways and be smug and superior only without actually having the capacity to feel it. Spread the good word and those who disagree? Convert them or cut them out of your life. You'll feel safe with us because you'll learn to fear and hate everything outside of us."

"We do not hate, we do not fear." the Cyber-leader argued.

"Yes, you do, or you'd recognise you could just go off, find your own little world. Live in peace and leave everyone else alone. But you see them as an automatic threat to you." the Doctor commented.

"We do not hate." the Cyber-leader insisted. "Hate is an emotion. Our motives are logical."

"They are a perversion of the beautiful thing that is 'logic,'" the Doctor argued back, "logic is a robust way of analysing data, making decisions that will provide the best results. But logic only works based on your initial assumptions about the world. If they're wrong then you're picking 'A' solution, not the 'best' solution. Don't you see, your logic is inherently flawed because you assume the universe outside is a threat to you. But it doesn't have to be." The Doctor reasoned. "Let me take you all away in the TARDIS. I'll find you a planet you can live on. Build a society and live forever in peace. Make it known that you have abandoned your quest to convert the unlike. There is room enough in the universe for everyone, and I think everyone can truly get along and be at peace, even with the Cybermen."

Raven felt quite moved by that speech and she risked opening her left eye a crack just to view the Cyber-leader. She could tell which one it was because its handles on its head were black. It looked like it was considering the Doctors words.

"Unacceptable, all organic life in the universe must become Cybermen." it announced. The Doctor looked crestfallen.

"You know I'm starting to see you less like a machine species and more like a virus." the Doctor commented.

"This debate is over." the Cyber-leader stated.

"And you give me the same pre-programmed responses." the Doctor sighed, "I might as well talk to a video game NPC, at least they emulate emotions."

"Your attempts at mockery do not concern us." the Cyber-leader said. "Tell us how the ship was reduced."

"Oh, that was little Rae-rae here." The Doctor said. Raven gritted her teeth under her lips. "She's a magician, a sorceress, a spell caster. Name her what you like, she caused all this herself. She's half demon you see." What was he playing at?

"Your words are truthful. But impossible, demons do not exist."

"Really? Some would say I'm talking to one." the Doctor joked, but the Cyberman reached forward and grabbed the Doctors arms. The Cyber-leader seemed to stair into the Doctors face before it announced. "Kill her."

And another Cyberman moved to do the deed.

"NO!" the Doctor shouted.

"You are proof." the Cyber-leader said.

"Of?" the Doctor asked.

"That emotions manipulate you."

"Yet I have much more of a life than you do." The Doctor challenged. "Sure there is pain, suffering, emotional deep wells of darkness. But they're what make love, friendship, happiness, all that more special. If we wanted only the positives but could avoid the negatives then life would be mind numbing, meaninglessness and boredom."

"Cease this prattle!" the Cyber-leader insisted.

What was the Doctor doing by trying to engage the Cyber-leader in another debate. It was clearly a stubborn block-head. Unless he was doing what Raven had been doing earlier. Keeping it talking.

What did the Doctor want her to do? She reached out, all the junk outside was at its normal size. So... the Nano's just needed a way to get out. A door way of some kind.

Raven reached out and sensed where she was in relation to the ship. All the air-lock doors were indeed closed. The Cybermen had destroyed the panels that allowed them to open. But the mechanisms were still intact. If she focused she could open them and that would open up the ship to space outside and let the Cyber-Nanos get to their 'dinner'. She didn't need to open all of them, just the ones where the Cybermen and Cyber-nanos were collected in, or else the people who were still alive would also get sucked out or be killed when the atmosphere leaked away.

The downside to this was that Raven and the Doctor would also be affected by the loss of pressure and breathable atmosphere. But the Doctor and the Cybermen were fast running out of words to exchange.

 _Here goes nothing._ She reached out and opened the air-lock door in their sector.

The room shuddered and began to shake as the atmosphere raged out through the open door. With the hull breached she was hoping the Cyber-nanos were rushing out to escape into the blackness of space.

The Cybermen were confused and looked around for the source of the shuddering. Raven felt the negative pressure wave coming at them. She quickly sat up on the table they'd put her on. Jumped to her feet, activated her powers to root her to this spot and grabbed the Doctor with her power and pulled him towards her, backwards. He impacted her and she wrapped her arms around his midsection as the negative pressure wave ripped the door of the room open and the Cybermen in the room were ripped off their feet an they rushed out the door.

Raven held her breath.

 _Don't worry about me._ The Doctor told her. _I have a respiratory by-pass system. I can survive a long time without oxygen._

 _Did you make that up?_ Raven asked, telepathically.

 _Not this time._ The Doctor answered.

 _What do you mean 'this time?_

Raven's fingers slipped and the Doctor was pulled from her grasp. He reached back and she caught his hand in her own. But his fingers were slipping from hers! She couldn't concentrate to help him. He was falling away!

Their fingers parted and the Doctor raced back, through the door and towards the open air-lock. Unless he could grab onto something he was a dead man!

Raven reached up to her mouth and held her mouth and nose closed. She also closed her eyes as she felt the liquid on her body and eyes began to boil away without an atmosphere to keep it liquid.

 _I'll be fine._ The Doctor still told her telepathically. _Open the other air-locks. Flush the Cyber-nanos out of the other sectors._

 _What about you?!_ Raven sent back.

 _This is our one chance to get rid of the Nano's. I've survived worse. Do it!_

Raven reached out, found other air-locks and released their seals. She held her breath as the loss of air meant she couldn't hear anything anymore. The place was deadly silent, so silent she could hear the blood rushing in her ear drums.

 _That should do it. Close the air locks, now!_ The Doctor said, and Raven reached out to each air-lock and forced them all to close again. One stubbornly refused to move, so she used her powers to take both doors and drag them shut herself.

She dropped to her knees. Her lungs burnt to take a breath, but she had to wait until the atmosphere returned. The burning sensation on her skin from the evaporating moisture was cooled by a strong breeze as the atmosphere normalised, and she gratefully took a great, big lung full of it.

She wondered if all the Cyber-nanos were outside as she got up and went to find the Doctor. She could sense the objects outside, they were drastically getting eaten by the Cyber-nanos that foolishly escaped the ship and were now being left behind as the ship moved on, away from them, faster than they could ever hope to catch up.

They were already a safe distance away from them. She could return the ship to normal and not worry about the Cyber-nanos catching up to eat their way back inside.

As she left the room that the Cybermen had called a base, suddenly a silver hand reached out, grabbed her neck and lifted her up off the floor.

Unfortunately the Cybermen were not sucked out with the Nanos, they were still onboard and she was surrounded by an army them.

"We must survive." the Cyber-leader said "We must survive!"

Raven felt like her neck was about to snap when in a panic she did the only thing she could think of. Undo the spell on the ship.

The space around her suddenly expanded many times. The Cybermen around her were forced further away as the floor expanded. But that didn't make the Cyber-leader let go of her throat. That came with the next spell she undid. Her own.

It felt like she was a spring uncoiling as her form popped back to its proper size. Her legs caught the floor and she landed on her back. The Cyber-leader released his grip on her neck as it suddenly expanded. She took a deep breath as she rubbed her neck.

"We must survive, we must survive," said a squeaky voice. Standing on her stomach was a mini-Cyber-leader, no bigger than her thumb. It reached out for her again as if it could still inflict damage to her. It was kind of cute that it thought that, she guessed.

She plucked the Cyberman from her stomach and flicked it away down the corridor as she got to her feet. The Cyberman army was still here but they were more like small wind-up toys, not the scary giants she'd seen them as before. They advanced on her still convinced they could pose a threat to her. They probably could. They could probably overpower her with sheer numbers. She guessed that even at their size they were incredibly strong and could probably damage her if they got too close. Unfortunately for them, Raven had no intention of letting these tiny terrors get any closer.

Activating her powers, Raven gathered them all up into a ball in the air, including the Cyber-leader and funnelled them towards a chute marked 'waste disposal.' The draw opened with her powers, the mini-Cybermen were dumped in, the draw closed, and the disposal activated, blasting them out into space.

Raven watched out the window as they floated away, and couldn't help herself from holding up her hand and sarcastically waving goodbye to them.

The Doctor? Where was the Doctor?

She walked down the corridor, towards the air-lock. She took her steps carefully in case she stood on anything or anyone she wasn't supposed to. She was the only normal sized person on this ship at the moment, everyone else was doll sized.

She followed the Doctors signature in the ether. She found herself returning to the area where the Cybermen caught them. There was a hole in the floor leading to a lower level. Across from that, at an air lock, it looked like the panel had been ripped out. Probably the Cybermens doing.

Dangling from the loose wires was a small creature tangled up in them. The Doctor must've grabbed onto the panel as the atmosphere evacuated, got his hands tangled up in the wires and pulled off the floor when the ship expanded back to normal. The Doctor held on for dear life as it would be quite a fall from his perspective if he let go.

He spoke, but his voice was so high pitched she nearly didn't understand it. She had to kneel down and bring her head closer to understand him.

"Rae-Rae." the tiny figure called "Well done. Do you mind helping me? I've already died once falling off a radio telescope. It'd be a tad embarrassing if I went out like this."

Raven produced a small black disk for the Doctor to land on so he could let go.

"Thank you." the Doctor said, dusting himself down before looking up at Raven. "Aren't you going to undo this spell?"

"I don't know." Raven said, a smile crossing her face. "I prefer you like this, its much more peaceful, and you can't get into any trouble."

"Rae-Rae" the Doctor said sternly, Raven weakly chuckled, perhaps a little too darkly.

"Okay. I'll think about it, but only under one condition." she said, bringing him up to her face to show she was serious, and she spelt her demand out to him. "Stop. Calling. Me. Rae-Rae."

* * *

Following the aftermath Raven had found and returned everyone else on the ship back to their normal sizes, and most of the objects including the TARDIS. Just to annoy the Doctor she actually left him as the last thing she returned to normal. She liked annoying him a little. She didn't know why but it made her feel good.

The Cybermen were now the only things left in a diminished state, barely the size of a human finger. They were still immensely strong and could break the bones in your hands as some of the crew members found to their dismay. They all chanted the same defeated statement. "We must survive! We must survive!"

The ships cleaning droids soon scooped them all up in their hoppers and dumped them out the airlocks. Hopefully no passing space craft comes upon them and mistakes the tiny terrors for toys.

A few stranglers retreated into some cubby holes in the ship, only to be hunted by the rats.

As Raven watched the small silver soldiers floating around out there she didn't want to think that most of them would've been patients onboard this ship the Cybermen had forcibly converted. That thought kind of made their victory hollow.

Patients and doctors all thanked and congratulated the Doctor and Raven, and indeed the crew, for helping to save them, and Raven actually felt herself blushing at the admiration. It still just didn't feel right to her that a monster would be celebrated for saving life, yet she liked it. But outwardly she wasn't showing it, she looked as unmoved as ever.

As the Doctor raced around checking that there were no nasty surprises left over from the Cybermen or the Cyber-nanos, Raven had peeled off with the excuse she was returning to the TARDIS. But that's not where she was going. She had some business to take care of.

* * *

The nosy woman laid her child in a crib for the night before retiring to her own bed, the lights went out and the mother and baby slept soundly.

Emerging from the shadows, Raven hovered half a meter off the floor through the silent night like a ghost, and approached the crib. The young boy, the young Corentin, the prelude to evil, lay in his crib. But he was wide awake, looking this way and that. He wasn't crying for his mothers attention, he appeared to be looking around as if trying to explore this new world he was in, and Raven was going to end it.

 _No, none of this magic rubbish that desensitises you to the deed._ Said a voice in her head. _If you must kill this child, put your hands around its neck and do the deed yourself._

She reached down and picked up the baby. Its blue eyes focused on her, though she knew it wasn't old enough to see her, it could sense her. She held it like a sack and stared into its big blue eyes as it stared up into her big, purple ones.

Raven reached up with her free hand and placed it around the infants neck. Holding it between her thumb and forefinger. All she had to do was squeeze and she'd be saving the future from this terrible evil before it even knew what life was. Before it could become evil.

The baby's eyes began to water as if it knew what was about to happen to it. It looked like it was pleading, as if those eyes were asking her, 'Why? What have I done to deserve this? What did I ever do to you?' it didn't start crying out loud like she expected the baby to, as if it was too scared of her to even whimper. Good, it's good that this evil child fears her.

 _Just close your fingers and this evil dies._ She told herself. _Just touch these two wires together._ What wires? She wasn't holding any wires.

She hesitated, she was unsure if she should do this. It just felt wrong somehow.

 _Just do it!_ Her mind commanded of her. _Close your eyes, send the signal to your fingers, do it quickly, don't think. Crush this infants neck. Save the future! Save those people, like you saved people today. Do it!_

Raven didn't know how long she held this babies neck for, preparing to snap it. They just stared at each other, monster against monster. She gripped the neck more firmly thinking of all the dead people he'd cause, all the people she'd save and... and... and she saw her own reflection in its dark pupils and she looked through Corentins eyes and back into her own.

"I'm sorry," she told it, genuinely she was, thinking that would make it better, but still her hands refused to do the deed.

Her grip loosened, and her arm dropped away and instead moved to help her support the child in her arms.

She couldn't do it. She just couldn't do it. She was a monster, she should be capable, but as she looked into this child's eyes it was as if something pulled the brakes on.

She could smash it into the floor and kill it that way. But again, her arms refused to do the simple movement.

Tears started to flow down the baby's face and Raven felt a wetness in her eyes too. But she refused to let a single tear escape her.

She began to tremble as she raised this little monster up to her face, still supporting it in her arms like a mother would. She placed her forehead against Corentins. Their wet eyes met and stared into each others. She couldn't kill it, but she pushed something into its mind, a simple thought, one that would echo throughout his brain all his life. She spoke the words as she implanted them. "Don't make me regret this choice... please" she said, her emotionless voice cracking with sorrow. She lowered the child so her lips pressed against his forehead and she said both verbally and into his mind, "Please. 'Try' to be good."

* * *

Raven was now in the bowels of the ship having teleported there after replacing Coretin back in his crib. The baby smiled at her as Raven cast a spell to send it into a peaceful sleep. He didn't know the horrors he might unleash, but then he was not responsible for actions he hadn't committed yet any more than Raven was.

Raven had teleported herself somewhere where she could be by herself to sort her thoughts out. She was sitting on the floor, curled up and contemplating. She felt weirdly responsible for the deaths of all those people Corentin might cause, because she had the opportunity to kill it for good. But instead she hoped she had influenced the boy so he grew up into a less evil creature. She wanted to look into his future again to see if she changed anything. But she feared she wouldn't have changed a thing. Better if she didn't know.

Was this how the Doctor felt about her? He had let her live despite the prophecy's and forecast dangers about her. He had suggested they nurture her into someone good, instead of a loyal daughter of Trigon.

That rant the Doctor had shouted at her, his words. She understood them now on a level she didn't before. The Doctor had just to touch to wires together to end a great evil in the universe before it arose, he had refused. She understood now why he did it, and it upset her even more because it made her realise how close she had come to killing an innocent, defenceless child.

"I can't." Raven said fighting back the tears, answering the Doctors question again. _If you knew the future and saw a child you'd know would grow up totally evil. Could you kill that child?_ "No, no I can't! I can't!" she held her head tightly in her hands and released a trembling sigh. She wasn't a monster, but she wasn't human either. What was she? How the hell should she act?

Wait. Was there another presence she could sense? In her mind?!

Suspicion crept across her face as she asked one simple question in her mind.

 _Doctor, are you still connected to me?_ Raven asked, not expecting an answer.

 _"No."_ said a voice that quickly vanished.

Ravens face went red with rage. She stood up and shouted into the corridor, a panel bursting out as power escaped with her rage.

"Doctor! Where the hell are you?! You are so dead! I mean it this time, and don't think for one second I'll allow you to regenerate!"

* * *

As Raven entered the TARDIS she found the Doctor at the controls. He looked like he was practically glowing with pride as she approached. Raven's temper had simmered down and she no longer wanted to kill him, though she now wondered if it was worth the effort to shrink him again.

She got the feeling this was going to be a long road of the Doctor annoying her, she annoyed the Doctor, the Doctor annoyed her in retaliation, she annoyed him in retaliation and so on, and so on. Well, if it meant war, then war they will have.

"I'm proud of you." the Doctor said.

"Save it!" Raven shot back at him. She felt betrayed that the Doctor still remained connected to her mind after she had severed the connection from her end. But weirdly she also felt glad, because the Doctor probably saw what she saw and felt what she'd felt and he knew she had the chance to kill an evil before it even knew what evil was, but couldn't. It made her feel better, but it didn't make her like it any better.

"I've severed my side of the link now." the Doctor said, Raven looked away. She didn't know if she hated the harsh Doctor or this proud Doctor more. "I honestly didn't know it was still active. It was only after I sensed a dark cloud that I realised."

"I don't want to talk about it, please, Doctor." she felt ashamed of herself for even attempting it in the first place.

"You know, it was lucky we landed on that ship when we did." the Doctor said turning back to the console, "How did you set the coordinates to land us inside that ship while it was travelling through hyperspace? I can't even do that."

"You must do." Raven insisted, "I..." but she hesitated. She didn't want the Doctor to know she'd been inside his mind, because if anything it made his intrusion into her thoughts a moment ago feel more like getting even.

"I guess the TARDIS got lucky and landed us in exactly the right place and time to find a specialist of Time Lord biology in the year 21,963." The Doctor said, "It wasn't a 'fast return' journey, I've never been there before."

This was making more questions rise in Ravens head, but if she asked them she knew she'd have to admit her crime. So she stayed silent.

"Something must've drawn us to that ship perhaps?" the Doctor guessed incorrectly.

"Yeah, I guess." Raven added.

"There are a lot of unanswered questions here." the Doctor rested his hand on his chin as he thought. "Like who brought those Cybermen onboard, how did they get them past security screenings? For what purpose? What reward? and so on."

"Like what attacked you in here?" Raven asked, trying to ask a more pressing question, but the Doctor just nodded telling her, "exactly!"

"Does it matter?" Raven asked.

"Possibly not. I just don't like loose ends. Especially in TV shows. I hate when they leave plot threads like this dangling, it really brings you out of the story. Unless they get tied up satisfactorily in a later episode, not rushed, or cobbled together like some that just get lost in the mystery they're trying to build."

Raven rolled her eyes as the Doctor mumbled about nothing in general. She moved to go back to her room when the Doctor snapped his fingers to get her attention.

"Raven, where do you think you're going, young lady?" he said, addressing her like a child.

"To my room." She said simply.

"Come here." the Doctor said hooking his finger in a 'come over here' motion. Raven found herself obeying and with the Doctor still looking at the console he held out his hand towards her. "Give me your hand."

She huffed and placed her right hand in the Doctors waiting one. He felt cold. His fingers closed over her fingers before he sharply moved her hand over to a switch on the console, the take off lever, and the Doctor placed her hand on it before removing his hand from hers and taking a step back.

He motioned for her to set the TARDIS going. This was clearly a symbolic gesture. Pull the lever and set the TARDIS out on the next adventure. By pulling this lever she wasn't just a guest in the Doctors home, not just a stowaway, not just some creature contained within the ship, not anymore. Pull this lever and everything changes, and she so did want everything to change.

Her life had changed so much in just a few short days. She'd been content to live in the TARDIS. No, not live, she'd never truly 'lived', she just existed. But in the past few days, the things she had seen, what she had felt, the loss, the stress, the panic, the blood pumping through her system, the exhilaration of survival, the thrills, the danger. Was this what it meant to feel 'alive'? Today, for the first time in her life... she had 'lived'.

She removed her hand from the control. The TARDIS still motionless and she looked at the Doctor with her staring, blank expression and slight frown.

The Doctor looked a little crest fallen and he moved to pull the lever himself. But before he could lay a finger on it the lever was quickly pulled down, it was covered in black energy.

The floor shuddered and a loud thud echoed throughout the machine from the Time Rotor as the TARDIS disconnected from reality and began to take off. "Okay, Doctor. I'll play your little games. For now." She said. She was unaware that, her mouth given him a very subtle smile, when she noticed it she wiped it off and clarified her decision to him. "You seem to have a habit of getting into trouble. You need someone to watch over you." She paused before adding. "I just need you to fly the TARDIS, and keep my home safe. Nothing more." _LIAR._ Her mind declared. _SHUT UP!_

The Doctor didn't look convinced. She hated him when he looked like that, it was as if he could see straight through her. She'd suspect he was inside her head again if it wasn't for the fact that the Doctor, her Doctor, had always been like this.

He moved around the console flipping switches and turning dials as the crystals of the Time Rotor began rising up and down, joining together and separating with a wheezing, groaning as they moved.

From now on, everything changed; and Raven didn't know how to feel about that.

* * *

The dark blue Police Box wheezed and groaned with a blue light from its lamp. The wheezes and groans somehow sounded like the box was moving, but it didn't, it just faded away, out of Time and Space, into the sea of the Time Vortex. But it hadn't gone unnoticed. Someone was watching from the shadows.

The figure smiled with delight as it understood what it had just witnessed, and more importantly, 'who' it had just witnessed. Its smile became broader as dark plans were starting to form in its head.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** So ends another adventure for them. I have an idea for another adventure in a more historical setting but I'll have to write it later after I've figured some of the plot details out.

Special thanks for making it this far, and thanks to all of you who left reviews and feedback. You guys are fantastic!

I think I've broken my own rule and made a character from another franchise the Doctors companion. Whoops...

To be fair, with Raven I kind of think its working. Her grumpy nature and the 8th Doctors playfulness just seem to bounce off each other, almost like a playful version of what would later develop into Beastboy and Ravens relationship but on a different wavelength.

I've just remembered there was an episode where Raven finds a demon trapped inside a book who sounds similar to the 8th Doctor. *shrugs* who's to say the demon in the book didn't pick 'that voice' because it was similar to a voice she trusted in her past? I.e. the 8th Doctor. ;) Yes, I know, I'm making it up, but in my head cannon relating to this story, that's what it meant.

[EDITS] 29/11/2018. I changed the way Raven accepts the Doctors offer to travel in the TARDIS. The change is quite subtle but alters the feel of the scene. So instead of accepting it outright because she wants to, she accepts it with the air that she's just indulging him like a sister would a brother. Originally her acceptance felt too 'traditional companion' which is not what I'm going for. She is supposed to be 'the reluctant companion' after all. ;)


	23. Bk 4 Chapter 22, Footprints in History

**Authors note:** The story now has cover art work. Go check it out. I'm quite proud of it. :D

I've altered the way Raven agrees to accompany the Doctor in the previous chapter. The original I felt clashes with Raven's personality at the time. So I've introduced some subtle alterations that change the feel of that moment. Basically making her into the 'reluctant companion' again who tags along with the Doctor like a sister indulging a brother.

Cheers and enjoy the new story

-TimeLordParadox

* * *

 **BOOK 4**

 **The Blue Ghost of Whitby**

Plot:

Raven's first trip in the TARDIS takes her to the town of Whitby, England, 1890. But a simple site-seeing trip turns into the epilogue of an eternity long struggle between two mighty species. Raven, however, is unable to help the Doctor, because she's been twisted against her will against the Time Lord.

* * *

 **Chapter 22**

 **Footprints in History.**

Thunder clapped in the dark sky as the waves roared and smashed against the rocks. Lightening flashed down from the cloudy sky, and heavy rain fell.

Over the roar of this thunderous example of natures power, an artificial noise was being produced. A wheezing, groaning as a small, blue box appeared as if from nowhere at the base of the cliff near the roaring water. Its wheezing came to a crescendo and… the box suddenly vanished again. The wheeze and groan started again as the TARDIS now materialised half way up the face of the cliff. But just before the landing 'ka-chud' sound the TARDIS made when it stopped, it was as if the TARDIS changed its mind, vanished and tried landing again.

This time near the ruins of an old Abbey close to the cliff face, but still too close to the edge. The materialising box rocked from side to side as it was buffeted by the wind. The TARDIS vanished again, changing its mind about where it'd be safe to set down.

Finally, it found a good place and time to land. A few hours later, and across a small valley, over a fishing village and right outside a small hotel. The TARDIS at last landed and the noise came to a stop with a 'ka-chud'.

* * *

Inside the TARDIS, Raven watched the Time Rotor move up and down as the Doctor adjusted dials and controls.

"Come on, old girl. You've never been this fussed about where to land before." The Doctor said, whacking the base of the Time Rotor in case that was the problem.

The Time Rotor finally stopped, a thudding a 'ka-chud' noise which echoed around the room and the floor bobbed up and down. They had finally landed.

"Text book landing!" the Doctor announced.

"Text book?" Raven questioned.

"Considering I wrote the text book on how to fly this ship." The Doctor said, adjusting some controls.

 _I've seen it, and I can't read it. Not with your hand writing._ Raven thought.

"Whitby, England, October 2000, ten thirty A.M." He announced.

Since she was now going to join the Doctor on his adventures he'd asked Raven where she'd want to go. But since Raven didn't know of anywhere at all the Doctor had instantly suggested a place called the Eye of Orion. Which was flat, dull and silent. It was like a misty Moore with ruins of a long dead civilisation littered the place. But the place had an eerie atmosphere about it. Like the feeling you get after a thunder storm.

It was a perfect place for meditations, and indeed, Raven had spent a good few hours there just in the peace. Her mind was totally quiet, the Doctor had explored the ruins; 'safely' exploring the ruins she added. All was well to Raven. Nothing very interesting had happened there, it was just rest and relaxation after those unsettling Cybermen creatures.

Now the Doctor wanted to take Raven to a place she might enjoy, and had an idea to go to something called the 'Whitby Goth weekend'. She got the feeling the Doctor was trying to get her to become more sociable, so he was taking her to a place where she wouldn't look out of place.

The Doctor had explained that Whitby was a small fishing village in a place called England, but in the early 21st century it began hosting a myriad of events. The Doctor had described the 'Whitby Folk week' (She hated the sound of it), Whitby Steam Punk Weekend, and so on. Raven rolled her eyes as he went into lecture mode.

He had asked Raven to get changed out of her current attire and put on something more 'suitable'.

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" She'd asked him, her brow falling. She honestly didn't care about her attire and she certainly didn't care what other people thought of it. So she kind of took it as an affront that the Doctor wanted her to change it.

"Its a tad eccentric even for the event we're going to." He'd said. "I just like to blend in while I'm on Earth."

"Blend in? Looking like that?" Raven challenged, looking at the Doctors usual attire of a velvet frock coat.

"I choose clothes which blend in wherever I go." The Doctor said.

 _Yeah, to a fancy dress party, maybe._ Raven knew she wasn't wrong with that statement because as she'd worn the coat she'd found a label for it which said 'Doug's Costume store, San-Francisco.' Above that was a label which identified it as a 'Wild Bill Hickok' costume. She'd guessed he must've ransacked and stolen the clothes from somewhere after he regenerated... and he'd not worn anything else in those long months. Did he never change? _Do you?_ Came a voice challenging her for wearing the same thing day in day out.

 _Fine,_ she told her mind.

She decided not to argue with the Doctor further on the clothes point and just retired back to her room as the Doctor had set the controls.

As she walked back into her room she'd found on the bed a black dress of a very goth kind of design and looked a tad old fashioned with a bell skirt that went all the way down to the floor. She'd held it up by its arms and rested it across her chest as she looked at it in a mirror. It was a very pretty dress, she had to admit, and she hated it. It was goth alright, but not to her tastes. It looked more like it'd be worn by someone who saw 'goth' as a fashion statement only.

Sighing, she used her powers to pluck the dress from her fingers, and standing still with a blank expression on her face she used her powers to force it down the nearby waste disposal chute. Tiny shreds of black material erupted back out of the chute as it was torn to pieces and they all rained down around Raven.

"Whoops..." Raven said deadpan.

Raven went to the TARDIS wardrobe to find something more to her liking since her usual outfit was out. She had found a velvet coat in blue and a waist coat, but decided against mimicking the Doctor's attire. The pleased attitude he'd give her would be unbearable. Instead she picked something opposite to what the Doctor was expecting, but was still something she'd like.

Which is why she was dressed the way she was, in a dark blue, short, womans leather jacket, with the sleeves pulled up past her elbows. A small, blue corset around her waist with a shorter, manageable skirt; fingerless, leather gloves; big, platform boots that made her look a few inches taller, a pair of dark pants, and she'd threaded a chain through her cloaks broach to make it into a necklace.

When the Doctor had seen her, he'd looked at her up and down and said, "You look nice." There was a subtle surprise to his voice and he probably wondered what had happened to the dress. But he didn't seem to really care. Raven was kind of disappointed he wasn't more annoyed. She guessed she'd have to redouble her efforts.

The Doctor operated the TARDIS doors and they swung open silently by themselves.

"Come on." He said as he strolled out of the TARDIS with Raven following. The Doctor had such enthusiasm about everywhere he went, where did he get the energy from?

As they stepped from the Police Box, Raven recoiled as she came face to face with a creature that snorted at her. She didn't react quickly enough to activate her powers and rather embarrassingly for her she had hid around behind the Doctor. Thankfully though he didn't notice this. As her heart settled she realised she was looking at a horse. Two of them in fact, pulling a wooden stage coach.

"Here, watch it. Don't spook Dorris." Said a man up on the coach.

"Oh, I do beg your pardon." the Doctor said, turning and closing the doors of the Police Box and locking them.

Raven had never actually seen a horse before, not in person and she stared at it, it was such an unusual animal to her. She moved around it warily as if she were a cat would a new object in its territory. She didn't know what to make of it. What do humans usually make of it? What do monsters make of it? She didn't know and she just wanted to get away from it.

For some reason the man was staring down at her, and looked her up and down as if she wasn't anything he'd ever seen before.

"What?!" she fired at him. He was dressed in really old fashioned clothes. Was he part of the festivities too?

The man didn't say anything as Raven moved away from the coach and looked around. So this was her home planet?

They were outside a large building of some kind. Across the other side of the road she could see where the ground vanished off the edge of a cliff, before rising back up again on the other side of a valley. Sitting on the opposite side was a church and some kind of ruin structure.

As Raven looked at it she got some kind of unnerved feeling in her stomach. She didn't know what it was but she felt like she was drawn towards it. Pulled towards it. For some reason her mind went blank as her eyes refused to look away from that ruin.

A rumble of thunder snapped her out of this daze. From the dampness on the ground Raven guessed a storm had just past. She didn't know what had just happened to her but she guessed it was just an odd turn.

There was also something else unusual. It was pitch dark. Raven thought this was weird. Hadn't the Doctor said it was 10:30 A.M. not P.M. Also the road they were on was dotted with what looked like gas lights to her. She thought by 2000 the place would use electric lights. Raven thought this as the Doctor tried to convince the coach driver to let him have his news paper.

She was about to voice her thoughts to him when he said. "Oh..."

"Oh... what?" Raven asked flatly.

"I think the TARDIS got the destination wrong." He said.

"This isn't Whitby?" Raven asked.

"Oh, it's Whitby alright, I can't forget the place." He said, looking around. "But it's not October 2000." He held up the News paper, "It's July 1890."

That was a difference of 110 years, how could the TARDIS be off by that much?

"So, we go back into the TARDIS and try again." She announced and turned around.

"No, No. Wait, wait, wait, wait." The Doctor said stopping her. "But Whitby 1890. I've never been here before!" He sounded like an excited school boy. "Don't you want to explore?"

"Can't we always come back later?" She asked, and the Doctors face fell.

"That might be difficult." He said sheepishly. For some reason Raven got the impression that the Doctor couldn't always control the TARDIS. But surely that wasn't true. Right? Right?

"Fine, we'll stay here." Raven said, giving in.

"Excellent. First things first, you'll need to change into something suitable for the period." Raven instantly raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest.

"You twisted my arm to change once already today, Doctor. There is no way you're getting me to do it again." and she waved her hand over herself to cast herself in another cloak of perception.

"Are you going to do that every single time we land somewhere you'll stand out?" the Doctor asked.

"I don't know. Aren't you tired of constantly standing out and getting shot at for it?" she argued back. She got the sense the Doctor wanted to argue, but he just sighed, shrugged and walked away.

Raven smiled. _Raven, one: Doctor, nothing._ She thought.

* * *

Far away within the ruins of the abbey something peered out through one of the stone windows. It had watched as the machine attempted to land, nearly crashing against the rocks before making several other attempts to land. It cursed itself as the machine instead leapt across the river and landed outside the guesthouse.

Across the river its eyes met with the girls. Ah, this girl was unusual. She was special. So much buried turmoil, so much power, so prideful and yet delicate. She was delicious.

But the man. Now there was something to behold. The amount of rage which built up in the creature was enormous. If it could, it would reach out and snap that mans neck, but it must bide its time and find a way to lead him to it.

* * *

When the Coach driver had moved on, Raven raised her arms in front of the TARDIS to cast a spell. But the Doctor grabbed her arms and interrupted her as she began to say her chimes.

"What are you doing?" he questioned.

"I'm going to shrink it again, so we can carry it around." Raven said.

"No, no, no! Leave her alone." The Doctor said firmly. "We're not going through all that again. Do you know how embarrassing it is for her?" He asked patting the box, and he walked off. He was trying to get her to empathise with a machine, that's stupid.

Raven looked at the TARDIS again, and a dull, blue glow came from within the windows and she got a feeling the TARDIS was trying to say to her, _Don't-you-dare!_

Shrugging she turned and walked quickly to catch up to the Doctor. She had her hands deep in her jacket pockets and she walked along side the Doctor. The place was deserted, a rumble of thunder from the distance told her why. She guessed with storm clouds in the air most people had found shelter until it had stopped.

"You know, the last time I was in Whitby it must've been a few hundred years ago and quite a few bodies back." The Doctor said. "I remember, I met a boy here and I pointed out into the sea and I told him. 'There is a big wide world out there just waiting to be discovered.' He was just a merchant navy apprentice. Did well in the end though. Name of James Cook." He'd said as if this should mean anything to her.

The place had a cool air to it. It was dark, and the wind carried the scent of wood and coal burning fires from the surrounding buildings. She sensed that over the cliff there was a village, a fishing village by the smell of it. The place certainly had an old fashioned atmosphere to it.

So this is what it felt like to step into the pages of history.

"Remember," the Doctor suddenly said, "We're treading in your planets history. What is established here has, and always will have happened." Raven started to understand where the Time Lords weird grammar probably came from. The Doctor sounded entirely serious. "We're just observers only, we're not the actors on this stage. We're just footprints on the beach that'll be washed away with the tides of time; and that's all we should remain as."

A rather poetic way of putting it, Raven thought. She was well aware of the consequences of travelling back into established events. She'd brushed up on the concept recently by reading books like the Time Machine and a book called the 101 Tangles of Time Travel.

 _You liar!_ Her mind said. _You got it from 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'!_ She was getting a little tired with her own argumentative mind. _The Time Machine isn't even about changing history._ Raven gently ground her teeth a little trying to refocus her mind.

As they came to the front of the building a business sign said. 6 Royal Crescent, Mrs Veazey's Guesthouse.

The Doctor clapped his hands together. "Come on. Lets see what a late 19th century guest house is like!" and he bounded up the steps to the front doors.

Raven just watched him rather bewildered. For someone over nine hundred years old he really acted like a little kid at times. Raven would be embarrassed to be seen with him, if anybody could actually notice her.

She followed him up into the guest house and went through the front doors. The Doctor tried to book a room as Raven joined him. The woman could tell someone was there but at the same time she looked confused. She didn't press it further.

"Well, I'm sorry. We're fully booked." The woman had said. But the Doctor then began some verbal banter and seemed to convince the woman to give up a key just for one night. How did he do that?

The front door opened again and a man walked in. He was dressed in a big top hat, a long black coat buttoned up. He had dark hair and a full face beard. As he walked a man behind him carried his bags.

The Doctor thanked the woman and was fishing in his pockets for something to pay with as the man announced at the desk.

"Mr. Bram Stoker" he announced, and the Doctor came to a complete stop. He looked up and stared at the man.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Stoker. But we're fully booked." The woman said.

"What do you mean, woman?" the man said, he had an Irish twang to his accent, "I booked a room not five days ago."

The woman looked down at her register. "Oh dear, we seemed to have had a clash I'm afraid."

"Dash it all!" Stoker said and seemed to be getting annoyed. Raven sighed, in her mind there was no point in getting emotional. A mistake was made, try to resolve it or go somewhere else, it was that simple.

But the Doctor seemed to disagree as he leapt forward to the mans rescue. "Hello, I'm the Doctor. I'm terribly sorry, but I couldn't help over hearing your plight. I can see you're a man with much burden and I feel you require this room more than me." The Doctor said, stepping aside. "I shall look for alternative accommodations."

The man was flustered clearly taken aback by the Doctors generosity. "Well... um..." he coughed "Why thank you, sir... umm... Doctor... that is most gracious of you."

"Too kind, sir." The Doctor said and stepped away.

"What the heck is that all about?" Raven asked. The Doctor had been so excited to stay here and yet he gave it up for a complete stranger? That was very angelic of him but as he spoke she realised there was more too it.

"Raven," he said in a hushed voice, he almost sounded giddy with excitement. "That's Bram Stoker!"

"So?" Raven asked, the name did sound familiar to her, but she couldn't place it.

"And it's July 1890!" He insisted as if this should make sense to her.

"Get to the point!" she finally sighed.

"During his stay here, he'll look upon Whitby Abbey during a thunderstorm, and from that he'll be inspired to write one of the greatest works of horror." The Doctor said like an excited fan boy. "A story which gives me the willies even to this day." He turned to look at Stoker. "The story of Count Dracula."

Raven looked around the Doctor at the author. He didn't look like the kind of person who could dream up such a dark tale. But then, the Doctor didn't look like he could be scary.

Almost dancing, the Doctor went back to Bram Stoker like some excited fan-boy and struck up a conversation. Raven put her hands on her hips and shot the Doctor a disapproving look.

 _What was that you said about leaving a foot print?_ Raven sent to him telepathically.

 _But it's 'thee' Bram Stoker!_ Came the Doctors reply.

Raven just groaned.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** James Cook, more commonly known as Captain James Cook, is a famous English explorer credited for the discovery of Australia, the Hawaiian islands and the first recorded circumnavigation of New Zealand. He is famous for much more than just discovering those locations but I want to leave the Authors notes concise for once.

Whitby is a real place, and the Whitby Goth Weekend, Folk week, and Steampunk weekend are all real events that take place annually in Whitby.

I'm currently reading up on Bram Stoker so I get this historic characters character as correct as possible. Originally I wasn't going to have him in this portion of the story. It was supposed to take place actually at the Whitby Goth week, but when I decided to shift it back in time, I thought I just had to get him involved somehow, even if its just for a few chapters. Whether Stoker will be involved in the plot or if it's just quick visit I'm not sure. Part of me wants to make it a quick visit, because the Doctor seems to get too many historical figures involved in his adventures, and I don't know if I can justify having Bram Stoker in it for than just window dressing, because part of me wants him to have an character arc of his own, but I've limited myself because this story is all happening from Raven's perspective. But I'll try my best. We all grow when we take on something difficult after all. Lets see if I can't work something out.:P

As I write this I am aiming for the story to have some kind of character development, whether it's Raven's or how Raven sees the Doctor.

Raven's attire is based off a picture a friend showed me some months back. Unfortunately though she still had the picture neither I, nor she, couldn't track down the original artist who made it to ask permission to use it. So I've altered it somewhat to include things I've seen people wear at the Whitby Goth week but the overall design I was aiming for was that of a modern look but with a rebellious teenage design to it.

The TARDIS actually picked out that dress for her, the one she destroyed; not the Doctor. So I guess shes annoyed the TARDIS again now.

There is no special significance to the year 2000. I just thought the Doctor would go for a nice, round number instead of a precise date.

The way the TARDIS lands is inspired by the way it landed in Curse of Peladon where the TARDIS seems to have trouble landing while its halfway up a cliff face.

People might have spotted the subtle jab at Raven's character in Teen Titans Go in this chapter. :P


	24. Chapter 23, the Children of the Night

**Authors notes:** This chapter does contain some old fashioned uses of words that mean something else today, so please bare with them. It is 1890 after all. ;)

I hope everyone enjoys the new chapter. It was a pain to write and fathom out, so please let me know if you think it works.

* * *

 **Chapter 23**

 **The Children of the Night.**

Somehow the Doctor talked Mr. Bram Stoker into having tea with them, and somehow convinced the woman behind the desk to let them eat here despite not having a room. It was also a little late for tea, most of the hotels patrons in the dining hall were already leaving for bed, but the woman seemed only too happy to be flexible if only to accommodate her guests.

Raven didn't know how he did it. She hadn't been paying attention. She'd just sat in a corner and tried her best to meditate in these unsuitable clothes as the Doctor and Stoker talked with each other.

She was amazed at how easily the Doctor could communicate, talk to people and get them to open up. It was almost like magic, a magic she hadn't the foggiest how to cast.

They finished their conversation and the Doctor approached, telling her they were to have tea with Stoker. Raven shot him a look which marked him out as a hypocrite.

"What?" the Doctor asked.

"What did you say about not interfering?" Raven asked, raising an eye brow.

"I know what I'm doing." the Doctor said confidently. Ravens mouth shifted to one side of her face. "I've been doing this for over several hundred years, I know how to tread lightly into anothers footprints." Raven looked forward to when the Doctor screwed up somehow so she could say 'I told you so.'

* * *

The creature looked in through the windows at the man and the girl. The man seemed to be in an animated conversation while the girl looked as stiff as a board. The girl was dressed strangely, as if not of this place. The man also had subtle hints in his attire that he was otherworldly too.

They were soon joined by another man coming down the stairs, and all three sat down at dinner.

* * *

To make conversation less awkward with other people Raven tried out another spell. Removing her cloak of perception and instead replaced it with a spell that altered the way people saw her attire, so instead of the 21st century clothes she was wearing they'd see whatever they expected a girl of her age to wear in this time period. She only hoped she'd cast it right, it was so easy to get a spell like this wrong. The Doctor said she'd looked 'lovely' but she was aware it didn't work on him. When Bram Stoker joined them for dinner he didn't seem to bat an eyelid. So she guessed it worked.

The Doctor stood up and shook his hand. Stoker looked slightly taken aback by this behaviour obviously wondering why the Doctor was treating him like an old friend. The Doctor had apparently already introduced himself as a broadly researched scientist.

"This is my niece, Raven." The Doctor said, finally remembering she existed.

"Delighted." The man said smiling at her in greeting, he maintained eye contact and his eyes didn't wander, so she guessed her new spell was working.

 _Keep your back straight._ The Doctor telepathically spoke to her, and she instantly felt her back straighten. Despite not seeing him she could sense the Doctor laughing at her.

 _Doctor, screw you!_ She sent back to him.

"Raven is a student of the more ethereal sciences." the Doctor said. Ethereal sciences? Raven questioned in her mind.

"Supernatural?" Stoker asked, "How fascinating. I always thought science dealt with the tangible truths of our reality."

"Wait until string theory," the Doctor quickly joked. "No, science investigates even the most intangible claims of the supernatural in its search for facts about the deeper workings of the universe."

"Ah, and what truths had this led to?" Stoker asked.

"Not a dicky-bird." The Doctor laughed. Raven got the sense he was mocking her and her abilities again.

The two sat and ordered a pot of tea for three. Raven wasn't hungry so she didn't ask for anything. The two began to converse about mundane stuff Raven wasn't interested in, but she listened to see if she could tune into this little thing called 'small talk' people seemed to be so good at. They discussed the Lyceum Theatre which Stoker owned. The Doctor even name dropped Oscar Wilde's name, though that might have been a mistake as it seemed to be an uncomfortable subject for him.

 _Bram Stoker married the woman Oscar Wilde most sought after._ The Doctor explained to her telepathically. _He wouldn't have been happy with her anyway. He wasn't so... inclined towards the feminine, shall we say._ Raven got the picture.

Now, they moved onto an actor called Henry Irving. "It was a crime you know." Stoker said, "That Irvings Hamlet was not reviewed by any critic at the time of its performance. An absolute crime. The performance practically came to life on the stage. The immersion of the mind to the illusion was so palpable, and Mr. Irving as Hamlet was a master stroke!"

"Tell me, was it true that he found your review of it and actively sought you out?" the Doctor asked.

"Absolutely, he's a very fascinating man. You'll like him, Doctor." Bram Stoker was practically fan-boying over this Irving guy in the same way the Doctor was over him.

"I've met the man." the Doctor said as he scratched at a side burn. "He's not really to my tastes, but I guess you can't like everyone." He was being diplomatic.

 _Henry Irving was an arrogant manipulative, pompous windbag._ He sent to Raven telepathically. _And far from being the best actor of his age, I thought he was the worst. But popularity can make you 'go' far when you have zero talent or substance._ Why did he emphasise the word 'Go'?

"I agree, I think he's a pompous windbag myself." Raven's face dropped at the sound of this from Stoker, who not a moment ago had been singing Irvings praises.

"I'm surprised to hear you say that." The Doctor said.

"It's true. I am his manager so I guess I have to like him on some level." Stoker waved his hand. "He's a marvellous actor, but utterly full of himself."

 _He has a love-hate relationship with Irving._ The Doctor sent to Raven telepathically.

 _Love-hate?_ Raven questioned.

 _Yes, it's kind of like when two people can't stand to be in each others company, but can't stand to be apart from each other either. When what the other does just drives you up the wall, but something about them keeps your friendship strong._ The Doctor explained.

 _That sounds like complete, and utter crap._ Raven sent telepathically. _How can you both love and hate someone at the same time?_

 _You'll find out._ The Doctor added mysteriously.

 _And what is 'that' supposed to mean?_ She asked.

 _You'll find out._ The Doctors attention returned to Stoker.

"Ah, but we are neglecting the young lady." Stoker said suddenly. "What say you on Henry Irving?"

Raven was aware her eyes grew wide at finally being addressed. Her mouth froze and she didn't know what to say.

"I'm... not interested in the theatre." She managed to say. Stoker looked at her like she was something from another planet, and she felt intimidated. "I read books." She added to see if that made things any better.

"She's from the United States." the Doctor explained quickly. "A long distant niece. She came over not too long ago." Stoker seemed to accept this explanation. Raven's accent did standout here, as did her raspy voice.

"I see. Well, let me be the first to welcome you to civilisation." Raven looked at the Doctor with a clueless expression. _Is this 'United States' a bad place to live?_ She asked.

 _Well, last time I was there, I got shot._ The Doctor sounded like he was joking so she decided not to take him seriously. _I'll take you there one day. It's not as bad as its made out to be._

"So you read plenty of books? What subjects, my dear?" Stoker asked.

"I'm reading a book called the Time Machine, by H.G. Wells." Raven said. Stoker looked unsure as if she'd said something wrong.

"I've never heard of it." Stoker said scratching his beard. "I've heard of the chap, but his works are rather mundane."

 _It hasn't been published yet!_ The Doctor told her.

 _How was I to know?!_ Raven sent back to him.

 _There is a publication date in the book._ The Doctor told her.

 _Yeah, re-printed 1955._ Raven was getting annoyed at the Doctor for this small slip up.

"My dear niece is a little mixed up. She was test reading a book for a friend that has yet to be released to the public." The Doctor explained trying to cover her tracks, and he glanced at her. "She does tend to get confused quite easily."

First shot fired and Raven gently curled her long fingers up. _He's not trying to be personal,_ She told herself, _he's just covering your ignorance._ That thought didn't make her feel any better.

"I've been introducing her to a lot of the literary greats. In fact recently she was reading Mary Shelly's Frankenstein." The Doctor said.

"A tad morbid for my tastes." Stoker said, "and I'd hardly call it great literature. More like fanciful science."

"Well, we all have our opinions." the Doctor shrugged.

"So, what brings you to this jolly seaside town. Business or pleasure?" Stoker asked.

"Pleasure mostly. I'm viewing a property in the area." The Doctor lied, probably just as a cover story. "I love the countryside around here, it's all so peaceful and relaxing."

"Honestly, I personally find the countryside to be anything but 'relaxing.'" Stoker cleared his throat. "I see it as barren, empty, and dead. Like how one might see a desert. Especially at night and there's not a human to be seen." as if on cue a wolf howled into the night. "I prefer the atmosphere of humans than mother nature." Stoker cleared his throat again before asking. "Oh, what exactly are you a doctor of?"

"Oh, well umm, everything really." The Doctor said sheepishly, "I'm a student of all sciences. I used to teach at Cambridge, but recently I've been travelling around a lot. I want to broaden my nieces mind you see. Expose her to new ideas and ways of thinking. And I feel maybe the British sun might bring some natural colour to her face."

Was the Doctor just inept or was he teasing her? _He's just baiting you, bide your time and you can get back at him, just have patience and the moment will come._ Despite that advice she rummaged in her brain for a good come back, but by the time she got it, the conversation had moved on and it wasn't worth the effort to say.

Since they had travelled together Raven was aware that the Doctor was bulletproof to insults aimed at himself, she didn't know how he did it. But he was protective when it came to the rules of time. A small smile appeared on her face. Oh, she was really going to annoy him with this.

"Have you read many books Mr. Stoker?" Raven asked in a lull in the conversation, "Any dealing with vampires?"

"No, I don't believe I have." Stoker said. "I read plenty while I was young. A mysterious illness you see, as a child robbed me of my energy. It's gone now, but I spent most of my childhood bed-ridden in my family home. But great old mother would always bring me books. If I couldn't run around like everyone else, then I would gorge my brain in literature." Stoker was derailing what she was trying to do, so she tried to refocus the conversation.

"Funny, I thought vampires were all the rage. Everywhere. Its a popular subject to write about."

"I can't say I have noticed, my dear."

 _Raven, what are you doing?_ The Doctor asked, panic rising in his communication and his face looked worried. She wasn't going to do anything to damage history, but just do subtle things that'll annoy the Doctor, and this was certainly annoying him.

"Really? Nothing about the undead who stalk the night in search of blood?" Raven asked, adopting a chill to her voice. "Doesn't the abbey look delightfully creepy in the night sky?"

Stoker looked like he was a little unnerved by her, and the Doctor just looked at her disapprovingly. He tried to gently kick her under the table, but a quick shield of black energy protected her.

"I say, your niece is a rather... unusual individual." Stoker said out loud.

"You don't know the half of it." The Doctor said, standing and taking Raven by the arm. "Could you excuse us, please?" and he forced her out of her chair and took her into reception.

"What are you trying to do? Force the Web of Time to unravel?"

"Stop patronising me." Raven shot back. The Doctor sighed and ruffled his hair.

"Look, I'm sorry." He was sorry? "But tonight is an important night for Stoker, he must be inspired to write Dracula."

"And I doubt we're helping by having dinner with him." Raven shot back.

The Doctor suddenly looked Raven up and down. "What?" Raven asked, the penny was in the air, and suddenly it dropped. "I'm not a Vampire!" she said.

"Yet he's going to describe a creature that looks most like you." the Doctor said, "I think you were his inspiration for the modern take on Vampires." The Doctor smiled as if this should be charming, it wasn't to her. "You've become a part of your own history."

"So your problem being?" She asked, and the Doctors mood turned again.

"What 'I' was doing is subtle, and I'm not talking about his future works. You're trying to force it. It's like taking a wrecking ball to try to carve out the statue of David."

"You dragged me into dinner with a famous author who isn't famous yet, I didn't ask for it." Raven shot back.

"If you have a problem with me, deal with me. Not the Web of Time!" He said sternly. "Do you really want to be known as the girl who ended the Universe? Because you could be, if you don't treat Time with care and respect."

Raven stared daggers at him, he'd pushed precisely the wrong button, the 'destiny button'. She'd now had all she could stomach of this arrogant Time Lord for one night, so she pushed past him and roughly shoved him with her power.

"Raven, where are you going?"

"Somewhere I can be away from you!" and she stormed out of the guest house, the Doctor calling after her.

"Raven, come back!"

* * *

The strangely dressed girl argued with the man and eventually she stormed out. The creature knew the art of divide and conquer, but in this case the quarry was already dividing itself. The girl walked across the street, down a set of steps and through a dark tunnel that led to the village.

The quarry is divided, now to conquer.

* * *

Raven stamped outside and was determined to go straight back to the TARDIS. She was angry, he had pushed the 'destiny button', he shouldn't have pressed the 'destiny button'. But even as she emerged into the cool night air, her temper began to simmer down.

 _You're being stupid._ She told herself.

 _He insulted me._ She argued back.

 _So? You insult him plenty of times before._ Her mind told herself.

 _Yeah, but I'm trying not to, and he makes it difficult._

She stopped as she rounded a corner and saw the TARDIS. Raven leaned against the wall and took several deep breaths. She can't return to the hotel, she'd be admitting defeat and showing how immature she had been. _Screw that!_ On the other hand, she didn't want to return to the TARDIS, because that too would be admitting defeat.

So she looked over at the lights that made up the old fishing village, and decided to go exploring instead. For extra protection she cast a cloak of perception around herself again. She'd heard of how dangerous the past could be, it was a different place so she needed to take precautions, especially at night. Even if she did meet some unfriendly locals, she could rip them out of reality as easily as snapping her fingers.

Raven walked towards some steps and descended them down into a small tunnel that took her to a set of stone steps which she used to descend into the village.

It was smoky, smelt of hot coals and had the faint odour of dead fish, which she hated. She ignored it as she descended into the back alleys of the town. It was dark, and mysterious and she liked it. It was kind of quiet, but through some pub windows she saw people drinking. She didn't know why, but she liked to observe people having a good time, though she'd never want to join in. Weird and creepy she knew, but that was how she felt. She watched as the people inside talked, toasted each other and fell around laughing at whatever had just been said. She just stared at the scene longingly, a frown creeping across her face as if she was looking at something she knew she couldn't have. She breathed in deeply and sighed before moving on.

Raven came to an opening and saw the ruined Abbey silhouetted against the night sky high above. It was darker than the dark clouds above. It kind of felt a little creepy to her, part of her told her to stay away, another part told her to run towards it. She didn't know how long she was staring at it for. Maybe a minute or two. She wasn't worried, no one could pay any attention to her and if there was any threat she could sense it coming miles away.

"Hello!"

Raven shrieked and fell backwards onto her backside as what looked like a boy appeared in front of her. The boy was maybe younger than she was by a year or two. He was wearing a flat cap, a white shirt with braces, tattered trousers and worn shoes.

"I didn't think I'd see a posh lass like you 'round 'ere." Raven took a few seconds to process this, the accent was quite thick but after some concentration the meaning came to her. She guessed "Posh" meant 'upper class' and "lass" meant 'girl'.

"You can see me?" Raven asked, looking around at everyone. They all appeared to be ignoring them.

"Yes, I can see ya.'" the boy said, "Names James Driftwood, at your service." He bowed to her in a gentlemanly fashion tipping his cap.

Ravens guard was immediately up. This person could see her, that made him something more than just human at least.

"You're wearing some really queer clothes aren't you?" James said. Raven guessed he meant 'weird'. So, he could see not only through her perception barrier but through her projection too? She got up and looked at this boy dead in the eye.

"Who are you?" She said, before altering the question to, "What are you?"

"Ey?" He asked, shrugging "I'm James, and I'm a fisherman. What's a pretty little thing like you doing in a place like this?"

 _He thinks I'm pretty?_ Some part of her mind squealed. _Shut it, I'm not going through that again!_

"I'm…" she hesitated "…exploring."

He looked her up and down again and seemed to be fixated on her form. "You're not one of those 'ladies of the night' are you?" Raven knew exactly what he was referring to.

"No, I'm not, and I warn you to keep your distance!" she said fixing him with a nasty stare.

"Oi, calm down love. Just that most lasses cover up from neck to toe, not displaying nowt." He explained.

"I'm not displaying anything, and my eyes are up here." Raven said, "If your eyes wander again, I'll rip them out."

"Oi, Oi, calm down, calm down." He said holding his hands up defensively, "I didn't mean nowt by it. You're just an unusual lassy, and you talk all funny, like."

Rolling her eyes Raven pushed past him and walked down the street to put some distance between her and him.

Suddenly he was in front of her again! And she fell back onto the ground in surprise. She didn't even sense it. In fact, she couldn't sense this boy at all. It was almost as if he wasn't there, yet he clearly was.

"Please, don't walk away like that. I don't mean nowt." James said apologetically reaching down to help her up. She refused his hand and got up by herself.

"Why can't I sense you? Why doesn't anyone here pay attention to you?" Her eyes narrowed.

"Because, my little flower." He smiled. "I am a 'child of the night'." His teeth were so white, unnaturally white for the time-period. She expected to see fangs, but none were present. _You read too many books._ She told herself. Suddenly the boy held something up for her to see, it was on a chain. It was her broach! How did he get that?! That broach meant a lot to her, and it also contained the TARDIS key.

"You'll be a dead child of the night, if you don't give me that back!" Raven threatened, charging herself up.

"Not really a threat to me, lass." The boy said. He turned heel and ran, Raven fast on his tail.

She conjured a wall of energy in front of him and… and… she couldn't believe it. He'd just leapt straight through it! She removed the barrier so she could carry on running.

He ran straight towards a wall and… he vanished through it. Raven held up her arms and caught herself on the wall before she went straight into it. It was a solid wall, but the boy, James had ran straight through it.

This was making a creepy sense to Raven as she conjured a portal to follow him through the wall.

Her threats to make him a 'Dead Child of the Night' were empty to him, because he was already dead.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** The argument between the Doctor and Raven was a little difficult to write. The Doctor is usually quite playful with his companions at times, but Raven isn't one who appreciates playfulness. But I hoped it felt natural. I did want the Doctor to subtly mock Raven but without being too insulting.

I want Raven and the Doctor to have one of those relationships where they do get on each others nerves and do mock each other for their respected imperfections, but the relationship is respectful. A little like how the 8th Doctor was with Lucy Miller in the Big Finish audios, but on another level. This is also how Raven eventually develops her quick, dry wit.

I always got the sense Raven was one of those people who would rather sit and watch people interact rather than take part in it. Which is why she listens to the Doctor and Stokers conversation without chiming in because she wants to picking up on how to talk.

I was a tad unsure about whether I should've left in the bit where the Doctor suggests to Raven that Stoker's inspiration to re-write what Vampires were was based on Raven's appearance. I knew if I did, the Doctor would think it charming, Raven would think it insulting. But I wasn't sure if it jarred at all.

Stokers opinion on Irving and the countryside were actually his own opinions on the matter.

Hope you all liked the subtle hint at the Love-Hate relationship Raven is going to develop with a certain character in the TV show. ;)

I've tried to write James Driftwoods accent out, but I was unsure if the Fanfictionnet reader would pronounce any of it properly. I've found it'll always say 'read' as in 'reed', but never as 'red' when needed, if you understand my meaning. So how was it going to deal with a Yorkshire accent? Thankfully it seems to understand the word 'Nowt' which means nothing.

Since this is pre-Time War and with the Eye of Harmony on Gallifrey still in working order it means that Time is a lot more inflexible than it is in the new series. At least, that's the sense I'm getting with the original series and the Big Finish audios. Which is why the tenth Doctor can drop hints to Shakespeare about what he's going to write, but the Sixth Doctor couldn't be explicit about the future to H.G. Wells.


	25. Chapter 24, Ravens Toy

**Authors notes:** For those listening with the Fanfiction net apps story reader there are words that are supposed to be read in a spooky voice. But I get the feeling the story reader will just butcher them. So keep an eye out for it.

* * *

 **Chapter 24  
**

 **Raven's Toy.**

Raven hovered over the ground, and through walls in pursuit of that boy. What the heck was he? A Vampire? He didn't look like one. A ghost? The Doctor had said there was no such thing as ghosts, "not literally at least" he'd said. Was it some kind of science stuff? Raven was aware most matter was empty space and you can pass through it if you could overcome the repulsion force between atoms. In the same way she destabilised the molecular structure of atoms so she could pass through walls like she is now.

Raven was aware she was also passing through peoples homes. Though with her cloak of perception on they couldn't really notice her, but would suspect something was there. Some part of her briefly wondered if she was inspiring some other Ghost Story by doing this.

She had to get her broach back. It was part of her cloak and was one of the few things gifted to her by Azar and her mother. She could always get another TARDIS key, that broach was irreplaceable to her.

 _It's just an object. Don't get emotionally attached to it._ She gritted her teeth. _SHUT-UP!_

The boy ran, rather than hovered over a bridge to the other side of the village, the same side the abbey was on, Raven soaring after him like a bullet.

Quickly she teleported herself and she appeared directly in front of the boy. He came right at her and... passed straight through her. Raven felt cold as it happened and sick to her stomach. James also giggled at her as he ran down a narrow, cobble street towards the sea front cliffs.

Changing tactics Raven tried to focus on the broach and pull it from his grasp. They emerged into a dark back alley and the boy halted as Raven pulled on the broach. James pulled on it as hard as he could but the black energy that surrounded it meant Raven had it, and she wasn't about to let it go.

The chain suddenly snapped and broke apart and the broach sailed back into her out stretched hand and it clamped down on it. James fell to the floor the remains of the chain in his hand and Raven gave him a nasty look as she tucked her broach down the front of her corset. Her eyes glowed white and she positioned her slender arms in the correct positions and prepared to speak an incantation, but not before saying. "You might be dead. But I still know how to deal with bothersome spirits like you!"

She might not be able to restrain this creature, but she could still cast it into another dimension, and she knew precisely which dimension to send this boy to.

"I'm sorry, it was only a jest!" She guessed 'jest' meant joke.

"Do I look like I'm laughing?" she asked as she advanced on him, black energy began to radiate from her.

"I just wanted to play!" James pleaded.

"Then you'll find plenty of playmates where I'm about to send you. Azarath, Metrion, Zinth...HEY!"

Something grabbed her by her arms and forced them behind her back. Quickly she tried to produce an energy barrier to blast this person off her. But her expanding barrier just past straight over it. _Great, another one._

"You'll have to excuse, James." Said a female voice. "He has a rather irritating sense of humour."

A girl appeared through a nearby wall. A girl maybe a year or two older than her, at least she looked it. With long, wavy blond hair, pale skin, she was slim and she wore a long white dress that expressed her curvy body.

"Barry, release her." The woman said and whoever had hold of her let her go. The person who held her moved aside. He was quite a muscly looking man, his rough skin and stubby fingers as well as his rain coat and hat marked him out as a fisherman. Like James both the woman and this fishermen felt dead.

The woman approached, and Raven examined her. For some annoying reason her mind began comparing herself to her.

 _She's got a pretty face, pretty blue eyes, she's taller than me, with prettier hair than me, and she moves like a ballerina, unlike me._ Said the voice in her head.

 _Stop it, I don't care about my appearance compared to others, my own appearance doesn't matter!_ But her mind just yammered on regardless, only this time it had something else to say.

 _At least my boobs are bigger than hers._

 _I said stop... wait, are they?! No, stop it! That's superficial and pointless._ She told herself, but subconsciously she quickly glanced down at her own chest before looking back up again at the girl.

 _Yeah, mine are definitely bigger._

 _I said stop it!_ She cried, bringing the discussion to a halt.

"Hello, I am Marya" the woman said, "You've met James and Barry already." Standing side by side James and Barry looked like they could be a comedy double act.

"It's not been a pleasure." Raven said shooting James a dirty look, and he just gave her a cheeky smile. She now stood firm in front of this new dead girl. "What are you?"

"Children of the Night." Marya said mysteriously. She almost had the look of a porcelain doll, creepy in other words. "And your name? Child of demons."

Raven's frown sank even further and her brow furrowed. "I am Raven." She tried to sound as powerful and intimidating as possible, but the girl moved around her, looking her up and down as if deciding what exactly she was.

"Pretty little thing." Marya said, "so full of pride, yet so delicate and emotional." Raven remained silent and just examined the girl as she examined her, her own cold eyes never leaving her.

"What are Children of the Night?" Raven asked, determined to get the conversation onto anyone but herself.

"Lost souls, like you." Marya said.

"I'm not lost." Raven said back.

"Really? The child displaced in time?" Raven was staring at her now. "Running away from your troubles because you dare not face them."

"You know nothing." Raven said.

"You have power. Such power, you are proud of it, yet you're afraid to use it." Marya said, "Why have the power if you don't use it?"

"Go away!" Raven said sharply.

"Why so defensive?" Marya asked.

"I'm leaving." Raven said and turned to go. But as she turned around Marya was suddenly there, in front of her when she turned.

"But we want to invite you." Marya said. "We have such fun in the night." She was staring directly into Ravens eyes, challenging her. Raven refused to break contact, it was like a competition of dominance and she wasn't going to back down. "You want to have fun too. Don't you, Rae-Rae?"

"Rae-Rae?" How did she know that name...?

"You want to have fun, right?" Raven found it difficult to break away from Marya's eye contact. Her mind felt like it was fogging. Yes, yes, she wanted to have fun, wanted to have so much fun... _Stop it! Snap out of it! It wasn't a show of dominance, its a trap!_ Her mind screamed at her. But it was too late. _You've done it again, you've walked into it! You idiot!_ Walked into what? Raven didn't understand that.

"Does your Time Lord friend like to play?" Marya asked.

"He loves to play..." Raven said dreamily not questioning how Marya knows about Time Lords.

"Good. Lets go play with him." Marya said in that oddly ethereal voice. "He is but a mortal, and mortals are 'our' toys, and we love to play with our toys." Ravens eyes began to glow white again, her head gently cocked to one side and her face curled up into a slight smile. She looked utterly content. Her cloak suddenly materialised around her shoulders with her hood up casting her eyes in the cowls shadow.

"Who is the Doctor?" Marya asked Raven, and she said in a hushed, almost musical voice.

"The Doctor?" Raven asked, and she smiled wider. "He is 'my' toy; and I want to play with him."

"Good."

* * *

Raven didn't know what was happening. It was as if her mind had gone numb, as if parts of her had been regressed, others reprogrammed. It was like she was a child all over again, only she was seeing things from a new perspective, a more selfish one. She was knowing peace like she had never felt it before, and she smiled joyfully at the thought of messing with people with her new friends. She was a fellow Child of the Night, and she loved it. She wanted these mortals to amuse her, it's what they were for.

She watched as James went into a pub, and totally unseen began activating the bar taps to the confusion of the bartender. Each time he went to shut one off, another sprang open, and once he closed that one, two would spring open. Once they were shut, three would spring open at very long distances along the counter. It was fun to watch as the bartender rushed around confused.

Barry the heavy set man had taken control of a fish someone was about to fillet and made it talk. He used his fingers to flap its lips, but to anyone watching the lips were moving on their own, and he made the fish say to the woman about to fillet it. "Oi, put that knife away, you could hurt someone." and she had screamed and ran out of the kitchen in tears.

Raven didn't laugh, but the smile on her face became broader. She was amused.

Marya did something just as amusing. She'd attracted a drunken man down a back alley with sweet promises, and when he was out of sight he'd screamed. Suddenly the scream stopped.

It was fun to 'play' with mortals, Raven decided, they were so fickle, fragile and powerless to stop them.

Raven really wanted her own 'toy' now, so she focused her efforts and cast her mind back across the river and into the guesthouse.

In her minds eye she saw the Doctor still sitting with Stoker with a pot of tea. The mood felt slightly sombre.

"I have trouble looking after my own children, never mind someone elses'." Stoker said. "Who's relation is she to yours? Sister or Brother?"

"Lets say, half sister." The Doctor said. "You'd be surprised how many people I've had to look after in my life. Usually I'd thought of them all as nothing more than just my best friends, never anything else, even if they wanted to be. But recently I seem to be taking on people for whom I represent some kind of father figure. There is extra responsibility in that, and I don't know I'm capable of anymore. It's been... a long time since I was a father, or a grandfather."

"Sometimes children have to find their own way." Stoker said, "Let them make some mistakes and then let them learn from them. You can't control every aspect of their lives, nor can you program them to be exactly like you. Less so if it's someone elses' child."

The Doctor laughed but it was a sombre kind of laugh. "Funny, 'control' was one reason why I ran away."

"Ran away?" Stoker questioned before he looked up directly into Raven's point of view of the vision, and Stoker stood and retreated in surprise. "Good God, what is that?!"

The Doctor spun around and looked up. Raven had projected a ghostly image of herself in the ceiling. It still had the creepy smile and those whited out, glowing eyes of hers.

"Raven? Raven what happened?" The Doctor asked.

Raven's projection held out a slender hand and motioning with her finger she suggested he follow her. "Come to me, Time Lord." and the image phased out of the window and into the street.

The Doctor was out the front door in a flash, Stoker not far behind him.

"What is that apparition?" Stoker asked.

"I'm hoping it's Raven just trying to annoy me again." The Doctor shouted at her. "Or worst case, she's in danger."

"But how is she doing it?" Stoker asked chasing the Doctor down the street as he followed the spectre.

"Ethereal sciences." The Doctor called back.

"Doooooooooctoooorrrrrr..." Raven called to him in a musical, low and ghostly voice. "Dooooooooctoooorrrrr..."

Raven's image motioned for him to follow her into the dark back alleys where the image vanished. The Doctor and Stoker looked around as Raven began chanting into the darkness. "Doooooctoooorrrrrrr... Doooooctooooorrrrrr... Dooooctooooorrrr... Whoooooooooooo"

"Raven, where are you? Are you alright? Answer me!" the Doctor looked around. He tried sending a message to her telepathically, but she ignored it.

Using her powers she dislodged a stone from the roof of a building Stoker stood under and pushed it off. If Stoker died then that would really mess up the Web of Time. But the Doctor had noticed it, and pushed Stoker aside before it impacted his head.

"Okay, who's doing this?" the Doctor called, "this isn't Raven. She might be immature and childish, but she's not so heartless to kill someone in cold blood."

To show how wrong he was she took him by the throat and lifted him up off the floor. He had a respiratory bypass system so he'll easily survive this.

"Good grief, man." Stoker said, grabbing the Doctors trouser leg and he tried to pull him down. Then Raven let the Doctors neck go and the two men fell in a heap on the floor.

Raven giggled like a child watching her dolls fall down.

"Doooocctoooooorrrr..." she called again, relishing how creepy she could be. Her image materialised again and beckoned them to follow her. This time across the streets, out towards the bridge that goes over the river. Then the spectre vanished. She had no need of it now and Raven herself appeared on the other side of the bridge with her new friends. Raven hovered in the air, her feet dangling.

The Doctor and Stoker came up towards one end of the bridge and stood facing the four people.

"Raven. What are you playing at?" He looked at the other three. "What have you done to her?"

"We're having fun." Marya said, "Come join us."

"I'd rather stay right here, if it's all the same to you." The Doctor said.

"Good grief." Stoker said, "What are those things?"

"Would you believe Vampires?" the Doctor asked, "Otherwise I don't know."

Raven smiled, held up her hand and her finger beckoned the Doctor to come forwards.

"Come to me, Doctor." Raven said, her voice still musical, ghostly and creepy. "Come to me, my toy. I want to play."

"I don't think you need play-time. I think you need a time out, young lady." The Doctor said and added flippantly. "Plus, as a toy I'm well past my guarantee, I'm more of an antique, and you don't play with antiques."

Raven held up her hands, her fingers clawed and she cast a spell at the Doctor. "I want my toy!"

The Doctors body suddenly went rigid, and for the first time the Doctor looked like he felt fear.

"Whats happened to you, Doctor?" Stoker asked looking rather shaken himself by all this.

"Best guess, Raven's been hypnotised by one of those pale creatures over there and they're using her to do their bidding." The Doctor struggled to break free of Ravens powers. But it was like a mouse trying to escape from a tightly clenched fist.

Now waving her hands as if directing a puppet she forced the Doctor to clumsily take a step forwards, then another.

"They want me to cross the river. I wonder why?" The Doctor asked as he took another clumsy step.

"Come here!" Raven insisted, "I want my toy. I 'need' my toy!" There was an edge of desperation in her voice, as if she was a child demanding to have something.

"Raven, snap out of it!" The Doctor called out to her.

Marya took a step forward into Ravens' view and looked like she was staring hungrily at the Doctor. Only now did Raven notice that Marya actually had sharp fangs instead of ordinary incisors.

"Finally, Doctor." Marya said, "At long last, my revenge against you and your kind is at hand!"

The Doctor looked like he went pale as he looked at her. "Oh no... remember I joked about them being Vampires?" He said to Stoker, "I was wrong to joke. The other two aren't Vampires, not fully." He nodded towards Marya. "But she certainly is!"

Raven forced the Doctor to take another clumsy step forwards towards herself, and closer to Marya's waiting fangs. Raven was oblivious to the danger the Doctor was in, all she could think of was...

"Come to me, my toy. I want my toy. I 'need' my toy!"

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** Oh come on, you didn't think I wasn't going to have a Vampire involved at some point did you? :P

I wanted to make Raven really creepy for this, so I've kind of turned her into a poltergeist kind of creature while she's under Marya's spell. Unlike Raven's more destructive and violent tendencies, here so she's more like a destructive, immoral child who just wants to be amused, and sees every mortal around her as just her play things there to amuse her.

I was unsure if I wanted to leave in the part where Raven compared herself to Marya, but reading it back I just think the exchange between Raven and her mind is too humours to really leave out.

I might go back and edit the previous chapter slightly, to include something that's going to be part of the resolution of this mini-story. Nothing major, just something that produces a little bit of foreshadowing. ;)

I have been made aware of a Doctor Who audio where the 4th Doctor claims he helped Bram Stoker writer Dracula himself. But he also claimed to have helped Shakespeare write Halmet, a fact later proven wrong when the 10th Doctor met him and realised he wasn't as he'd imagined. So I think the 4th Doctor is telling fibs again. :P

How is the Doctor going to get out of this?

Stay Tuned... ;)


	26. Chapter 25, Yssgaroth

**Chapter 25**

 **Yssgaroth**

"Raven, your father's coming!" The Doctor shouted, and Raven lost concentration as fear flooded her. Instantly the Doctor was free as the power went. The atmosphere to Raven suddenly felt very, very cold. In her hypnotic state she fell to the ground and onto her hands and knees. Her father? Her father is coming?! No! NO!

"No, what are you doing girl?!" Marya said viciously, "Go claim your toy!"

"I need my toy..." Raven murmured and got up, but rather than force the Doctor towards her she began to take steps towards the Doctor.

"STOP!" Marya commanded, and Raven stopped. "What's wrong with you, you stupid girl?!" and Marya turned and look fiercely at the Doctor.

"Right, lets sort this out." The Doctor said dusting down his coat. "Who exactly are you? You're some kind of Vampire I take it?"

"I am a Yssgaroth!" Marya said, the look she gave the Doctor made her look like a demon hell spawn, much more so than Raven. Her features were vicious, her teeth sharp, and the skin around her eyes had turned a scarlet red.

"That's not possible." The Doctor said, his brow furrowing, "They were all destroyed."

"You should know, 'Doctor'!" she spat the word. "You murdered my father!" First confusion crossed the Doctors face, then understanding.

"The King Vampire?" The Doctor said, a fearful edge to his voice. "The one who fled into Exo-Space?"

"What in the name of the Lord is going on?" Stoker asked. "What is a Yssgaroth?"

"What does the name of the Lord have to do with it?" The Doctor asked, "The Yssgaroth? Yes, they were once a charming race of Vampires, so long as you managed to avoid them at mealtimes, of course." There was heavy sarcasm in his voice. "Also known as the Great Vampires. They were said to be the cause of all vampire legends and vampire like creatures throughout the universe."

The Doctor looked at Marya. "But you can't be a Yssgaroth. They were all killed millions of years ago, relatively speaking, in the 'Eternal War'."

"You Time Lords only counted the bodies you knew of. I was conceived in secret by the Great Lord of Vampires." Marya said. "The one you murdered in cold blood, without giving a chance; before he had a chance to rise again!"

The Doctor seemed to be considering her, as if pondering how to proceed. Suddenly he snapped his fingers and looked around excitedly like a child who had finished a puzzle. "Of course! You're half Yssgaroth, half human. I had read you were into cross breeding with other species to make your conquests of local populations easier. Hence why you don't look like a fifty foot tall bat like creature."

"I was my fathers means of breaking back into this Universe from E-Space." Marya said. This echoed in Ravens mind. More so when the Doctor clapped his hands and laughed.

"Raven, you've found a friend you can relate to. Though personally I'd find Marya's father more terrifying. That's if I hadn't found his resting place and drove, what was effectively, a giant, steel steak straight through his dark heart."

"Enough of this!" Marya's temper flared up. "Rae-Rae, bring the Doctor to me!"

Raven raised her arms to force the Doctor towards herself. "Raven, your father's coming!" The Doctor called and her powers failed as fear flooded her again. "Unlike you, Raven doesn't much care for her biological parent."

"Why doesn't this devil-spawn creature just come and get us, Doctor?" Stoker spoke up at last.

"Simple." The Doctor said, pointing down. "Running water. For some reason, reasons my people could never find out, the Yssgaroth seem to dislike running water. It acts like a barrier to them." He turned to Marya. "Kind of makes a stroll in the countryside a pain, doesn't it? Especially if you have to walk around a small creek you could easily step over."

"James, Barry. Bring the Doctor to me!" Marya cried.

"Unfortunately, 'they' are not full Vampires." the Doctor said to Stoker. "When I say run, 'run'... RIGHT RUN!" The two men turned on their heels and ran back, up into Whitby town, James and Barry following.

Angrily Marya turned to Raven, fire in her eyes. "I'll deal with you later! Come!"

Raven hesitated as Marya moved off. Her body was frozen with fear. Her father was coming, her father was coming for her! Where is her toy? She wants her toy! She needs her toy!

"Raven!" Marya called and Raven finally obeyed.

* * *

Marya led Raven up something called the 'One hundred and ninety nine steps' up towards the abbey. While her body followed Marya, her mind had followed the Doctor and Stoker. They were still on the other side of the river where Marya was powerless, and running from two Vampire like creatures.

The Doctor had tried running into a building and slamming the door shut. Testing the theory that a Vampire couldn't come in unless invited. Unfortunately Raven knew that theory to be wrong having chased James through peoples houses.

The Doctor had wanted to try out garlic, but unfortunately they couldn't get any, not at this time of night.

Eventually the Doctor and Stoker were cornered in a back alley while trying to go up the steps towards the small, short tunnel that'd lead them back to the guesthouse. But Barry stopped them on one side of the tunnel, while James appeared on the other. They were both trapped.

From where Raven was, on step one hundred and forty four of the one hundred and ninety nine she could see the tunnel set into the opposite cliff face and could see James' back as he approached the Doctor.

"Alright, alright. I can tell when I'm bested." The Doctor said. What was he doing with his hands? He turned around as he did something. He went towards the big brute Barry and held out his hand to shake his. "I surrender." Usually when you surrender you hold your hands up. Unfortunately Barry didn't know this as he reached out for the Doctors arm. The Doctor took his hand in his right, but then clamped down upon it with his left.

Barry screamed in agony. Smoke or steam erupted from his hand as he struggled to pull himself free from the Doctors grasp. James stood, wary of what kind of magic this was.

The Doctor released Barry and showed what was in his right hand. His silver pocket watch from his waistcoat. "I guess Vampires are allergic to silver too." And the two men retreated again while Barry moaned at his burns. James hesitated to go after them, probably fearing what it'd feel like to hold Silver, but also feared Marya's wrath.

* * *

Now in the ruins of the abbey, Marya was deeply upset that James and Barry had returned without the Doctor.

"Fools! Idiots!" She shouted at them, before turning to Raven shouting at her. "And you are useless! If I didn't need your powers so badly I'd bite your neck and make you one of us!"

For Raven to use her powers her soul had to be intact. To become a Vampire meant her soul would be destroyed, and no soul, no powers.

Raven just stood still. Her expression now blank. When were they going to have fun again? She wanted to have fun again. Why weren't they having fun anymore?

"Oi, oi. It weren't our fault!" James said to Marya, "You didn't tell us nowt about how silver burns us."

"And look where that belief has gotten you!" Marya said, "Would you have gone after the Doctor if you knew that piffling little watch could hurt you?"

"Send the pretty lass after them." James said, "it were funny how she made the Doctor move all like a marionette."

Marya looked at Raven, considering. "No, because the Doctor knows how to shut her down too easily. I don't know which demon fathered her, but she fears him, greatly."

Her father? Where?! Where is her toy?

Marya stared into Raven's eyes and she felt this Vampire girl dive into her mind.

"What do you know of the Yssgaroth and the Time Lords?" Marya asked, "Very little I imagine, or whatever lies the Doctor has polluted your mind with." Marya spat, "How do you see the Time Lords? Powerful beings who guard the Web of Time? As ancient, dusty senators who are so frightened of change?" Marya eyes burrowed into Raven soul. "I see them as controlling monsters, much like your own father."

Raven was powerless as Marya spoke to her. "When the Time Lords were experimenting with their Black Holes they opened up the home dimension of the Yssgaroth. We began to colonise this universe peacefully. We fed on blood, but only of our cattle. We left the rest of the Universe alone. But our power grew, and we eventually came to the attention of the Time Lords. They saw our rival power as a threat to themselves, and once they were powerful enough they spread lies about our ways, turned us into their bogeymen. Starting a five hundred long year war of extermination to eradicate us. I was conceived just as the war ended, and my father fled to Exo-Space to escape the Time Lords wrath."

Raven tried to think about it, something about that didn't ring true, things like, 'if they could peacefully feed on cattle then why did Marya feed on the man she tempted into a back alley earlier?' But Raven felt pressured into coming to one conclusion. 'The Time Lords were Monsters, all Time Lords were monsters.'

"And the Doctor followed my father into E-Space, found him while he was still recovering, and like all his bigoted kind he destroyed him. The Doctor committed genocide. He is more a monster than any of the Yssgaroth! His people started all this. Which is why the Doctor 'must' pay for his crimes. It is not just revenge, it is justice for me and my species."

Again Raven wasn't given a chance to think about it. Instead the thought felt like it was implanted into her brain under pressure. 'The Doctor is evil, the Doctor is a monster, the Doctor must die. The Doctor must die. The Doctor must die!'

* * *

Marya rested on the ground, in the nearby church cemetery, surrounded by the headstones of the dead. Her eyes were closed and her hands were crossed over her chest. She was completely still and if Raven didn't know better she'd say she was dead. But she was just resting, gathering her power and thinking.

James, Barry and herself stood and just watched over her as she slept. When where they going to have fun? When were they going to play again? Raven wanted to play. This was no fun. She wanted her toy. Raven felt like the reason she joined the Children of the Night no longer existed. Why did she actually join the Children of the Night? She couldn't remember. She kind of felt like she was forced into it. Her head was so foggy.

She looked over to James and Barry. They were standing like guards, obedient guards. There was no fun in them anymore. Even James didn't give her cheeky glances anymore. Deep within her mind Raven felt something struggling, twisting this way and that, wanting to be released. But it was fought down. Raven even felt something even deeper and stronger than that. It felt angry, very angry and wanted to break free just as bad as the other thing in her mind.

They had been ordered to stand guard, but they hadn't been ordered to be silent.

"Why did you join the Children of the Night?" Raven asked Barry and James, hoping this could lead to something fun. The two looked up like they were just puppets.

"Our Marya here saved my life." James said. "It were a long time ago. Up river at Briggswath. A girl I fancied lured me to the river one bright summers day. She was such a beautiful lassy, her smile was enough to rival the smile of every pretty lass in England. I was just a poor uneducated fishermans apprentice, she was a right posh farmers lass. I never thought I was good enough for anyone, but she took an interest in me. I were over the moon." His voice sounded distant and dreamy. "'till we entered the forest and she led me to a clearing." His voice started to drop as did his face. "There were a gang of them. Trouble makers from me school. They grabbed me." He stopped at what was obviously a painful memory. "They gave the lassy back her teady-bear and she ran off without looking back at me." The boy swallowed. "They were rough..." he said, not describing it. "Very, very rough."

Raven felt sad. Why did she feel sad? She wanted to have fun, not listen to sad stories. Someone make the sadness go away.

"I was left in the mud after they'd wrestled with me. I were bleedin' and I could not get up. But then as darkness fell an angel appeared before me. Marya. She said she had been watching me and said she could help me." He waved his arms a little, "so she turned me into this."

Now his voice became darker, so much darker. "and I had fun... oh so much fun... as I chased down those trouble makers and made each and every one of them 'disappear'. Glug, Glug, Glug..." He smiled, and now Raven could see his incisors were a lot more pointy than they should be. "The lass. I came for her for what she did. I led her out into the night, pretending to be an angel, just like she had done to me. I made sure she brought her teady bear with her. I led her to Marya. She took her bear and ripped its head off, and burnt it in a fire as she watched. I made sure she couldn't run away as Marya 'played' with her. Once the girl were near the end, only then did Marya feed. But she didn't give her the gift of life after. It felt so good."

Raven just stared at him for a long time. Why did another's story hurt? Why did she think both more and less of him at the same time? He'd led her a merry chase through the town, and into a trap. For some reason she had to ask. "You did the same to me, as you did the 'lassy'."

"Yes." He said coldly.

"Why?" She asked.

"Because pretty lasses are always so heartless and horrible." He said. There was an emptiness to him.

"I'm... I'm... sorry." She forced herself to say. What could she say to that? The part of her that was suppressed seemed to empathise with it, but also found it horrifying at the same time. She also thought she hated him at the same time.

"Leave me alone..." James said slowly in a low voice. Raven looked away.

"So what's your story?" Raven asked Barry, cocking her head to one side, hoping to get a better tale.

"I were thrown overboard by my sea-mates, because my mate got drunk and thought I were sleeping with their misses." His accent was much thicker than James' but she understood it. "I washed up on shore and here I am. Got back at the arse-holes though, afterwards. Funny thing was, I really were sleeping with his misses."

"That's nice..." Raven said dreamily, and yet sadly as if she didn't understand it. Why was she surrounded by sadness? Why did she join the Children of the Night? It felt like both James and Barry became what they were against their will because they had little other choice. She felt like she had more to think, but the fog in her mind made it difficult. Why had she joined the Children of the Night...?

Where was that little voice that reminded her of this stuff? The voice that told her what to do? Why was she here? She deeply missed something. She wanted to go home, she really, really wanted to go home, to that funny box; But she couldn't, she was a Child of the Night now.

Raven really, really wanted her toy now.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** Part 25? Bloody hell, I never realised this story would get so long. I just want to thank everyone who is still following the narrative. You guys are fantastic! Absolutely fantastic! And to those who left comments and reviews. Thanks very much, you guys are awesome. :D

I'm upgrading the rating to a T because of some of the things I might end up presenting in a chapter or two.

Oddly I'm finding it difficult to write Raven as hypnotised than I am writing the real Raven. lol. I tried to make it her, but a lot more relaxed and clueless with the internal struggle in her mind between two aspects of herself that want to break free. Guess who two they are. :P

The 199 steps are actually something in Whitby and they lead up to the church and the abbey.

Technically the Yssgaroth are classic Doctor Who monsters who appeared first in the Doctor Who story 'State of Decay' where the Doctor did battle with the King Vampire and his minions.

The interpretation that the Time Lords were prejudice towards all Vampire kind, and that the Vampires were once peaceful was first expressed briefly in the Big Finish audio Zagreus. However, its never stated if this was just the Time Lord Vampire Tepesh just fibbing, or just reciting the Yssgaroth's own brand of propaganda.

Raven's powers do come from her soul-self, so I reasoned that Marya would not turn Raven into a vampire in case it risked destroying her powers. So she hypnotised her, and numbed her mind instead to make it more suggestible.


	27. Chapter 26, Father Issues

**Chapter 26**

 **Father Issues.**

The night was long, cold, and the moon shone brightly in the sky, making the place oddly beautiful.

The Doctor and Stoker were standing outside the guesthouse, the Doctor looking up at the abbey with his spyglass.

Raven watched longingly. She wanted to go to the Doctor, she wasn't having fun, she wanted to be with her toy. But she couldn't leave Marya. Why couldn't she leave Marya? She didn't know.

Using her mind Raven projected her consciousness over to the Doctor to hear what he was saying.

"Dash it all, shouldn't we contact the local constabulary?" Stoker asked as he gazed up at the abbey.

"And explain to them that my friend has been abducted by a pack of hungry vampires?" There was sarcasm in the Doctors voice, "I'm sure they'll only be too happy to help."

"No, but we adjust the truth, tell them that she's being held against her will." Stoker explained and coughed, "Tell them its a cult, or even a ripper like Jack back in London."

"What do you expect the police to do exactly? Break into the abbey screaming 'Oi, evening all. But you super strong, vampiric creatures with supernatural powers are under arrest and will be retained at her majesties pleasure'?"

"Well, when you phrase it like that." Stoker stroked his beard.

Funny, Raven thought, the Doctor was complaining about how she was being too obvious to Stoker about his future works before, and yet the Doctor was practically living the story of Dracula in front of him. Her toy was such an adorable hypocrite.

The Doctor was looking directly at her, and cheerfully gave her a wave. Raven cocked her head to one side and raised her hand in greeting, then motioned with her finger for the Doctor to come to her. She wanted her toy, now.

The Doctor tried sending telepathic messages to her. Raven couldn't hear them but she could feel them bouncing against her consciousness, it tickled.

"I think we should discuss our plans in private." The Doctor said turning around on the grass and strolled towards the TARDIS, Stoker following. He inserted the key in the lock. But before opening it he turned to Stoker and said firmly. "Now, you mustn't breathe a word of this to anyone. Understand? Anyone. Do not speak of it, do not write of it. It's all very hush, hush, you see."

Stoker looked around the box. "What exactly is a Police Public Call Box?"

"Ah... You'll find out. London won't get its first Telephone Kiosk for 13 years." The Doctor opened the door.

"Telephone Kiosk? You mean like those new things in the states? Telephones in boxes?" Stoker asked as the Doctor stepped inside.

"Similar. You know the first was made in Berlin in 1881 but you had to buy a ticket." The Doctors voice sounded like it was receding into the small space.

"Doctor? Good grief. Where did you go?" Stoker said as he watched the Doctors form vanish into the black void between the TARDIS exterior and interior. Gingerly he stepped inside too.

"Good heavens!" He cried. Then the doors closed and Raven could no longer hear them. She just watched the blue box sitting there. Her toy was back in its box. She wanted the box, the box was his home. The box was her home.

"RAVEN! Come here!" Marya hissed. She was awake.

Raven tore her gaze away from the box and approached Marya, the other two looking like ghostly spectres next to her.

"Tell me," Marya said as she gazed into Raven soul again, "Do you love the Doctor?" Raven didn't know how to answer that, so just said simply. "He is my toy."

"But do you love him?" Marya asked again. Something in her mind just wouldn't connect those words together. "Do you love your 'toy'?" she asked instead.

"Yes, I love my toy, I want to play with my toy." Raven said happily.

"And you will." Marya said, "But do you fight? Does the Doctor make you angry?"

"He..." Raven hesitated, "...displeases me, makes me sad, makes me angry."

"Good," Marya said slowly. "Do you love your father?" Raven felt a wave of nausea and fear grip her.

"My father, is..." she hesitated "...no, my father is..." she hesitated again, "...my father hurts. My father is... death."

"Listen to me, and believe." Marya said gazing even deeper into Ravens mind, "The Doctor is your father, in disguise."

"I wish he was my father." Raven said lazily until she realised what Marya actually meant. "The Doctor... in disguise... no, that is not right." Raven rejected. "The Doctor is... nice."

"Listen and believe me." Marya said, "Time Lords can change their appearance, yes?"

"Regeneration." Raven murmured.

"One of his past selves was your biological father." Marya tried to force the point.

"That is not right. I have seen his other faces." Raven rejected the implanted memory again.

"Have you seen all of them? All..." Marya paused, Raven felt something rummaging in her mind. "Nine of him?"

"There are only eight Doctors." Raven countered.

"Did you know he had one before?" Marya said.

"That is a lie. There are no more. I have been in his head, I can sense the presence of eight people in one. He can't hide them from me." Raven felt some clarity start to come back to her mind, as if there was a gap in the fog and she could see Marya for what she was. But it was as if something waved a hand in front of her and pulled the fog back over her brain.

"It is true."

"Liar." Raven insisted.

"Listen and believe me." Marya said, "I am your 'friend' and I only want what is best for you."

"You... want what is best for me..." Raven droned.

"The Doctor makes you angry and sad, your father makes you angry and sad. They are one and the same. The Doctor tricked you." Raven knew for a fact that was a total lie, all of it. But she felt it being forced into her brain. She found that she didn't want to displease Marya. She felt like she'd found her 'family' and she didn't want to be ejected from it. "The Doctor is your father."

"The Doctor... is Trigon." She accepted. Marya actually retreated at the name.

"Yes, believe my words. The Doctor is... your father; and we will help you destroy him." Marya said.

"I will destroy him..."

Marya broke contact and left Raven in an hypnotic state. She could hear what went on around her, but her brain did not process it. It was now like events washed over her while her brain was in standby.

"I see now why she fears her father. Now those emotions will be aimed at the Doctor." Marya laughed, and said to Barry and James as Marya played with a strand of Ravens hair. "The human mind can be so easy to manipulate to your bidding. If you know how."

She turned back to her two minions. "Barry, go to the Doctor and give him an ultimatum. Tell him we will turn his friend into a vampire if he does not come to us." Barry agreed and walked away, back down the steps into Whitby town.

Marya turned to Raven and removed her spell. Raven still felt like she was in a dream, and it was pleasant. It still felt wrong, like it wasn't reality, but she liked it this way.

"Come, we must prepare." and Marya strolled away with James and Raven walking side by side behind her.

Raven still felt something struggling inside her head. Why couldn't it just be still and be happy? She was happy... wasn't she?

"Do... you like me... James?" Raven asked.

"No." He said dully. Raven felt sad.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because you are a posh lass, and all posh lasses are horrid." James said sharply back to her.

"You felt what you did was... justified?" Raven asked, why was she asking these questions? It was the thing moving through the fog in her mind. Why wouldn't it stay still? It would spoil this pleasant little family. But James said he didn't like her. Did any of them?

"After everything I've been through in my life? Yes. It's justified." James said firmly, "Treated like dirt. Kicked around. Looked down on. Now its my turn to be on top. My turn to hurt people. Like they hurt me." But James didn't just hurt them, he killed them.

"But don't you want to be at peace?" Raven asked.

"No. I want revenge."

"But, you got your revenge." Raven said back.

"I want revenge against everyone else who'd treat me like dirt!" James insisted.

"I wouldn't have treated you like dirt."

"You pushed past me and ignored me!" James sounded like there was a hint of anger.

"I'm like that with everyone, everybody. You're nothing special, nor lesser than anyone else." James looked like he was about to hit her.

"What are you doing?" Marya shouted, grabbing James and stopped him.

"She's questioning." James said and Marya looked at her, deep into her soul.

Marya groaned, "She's broken free and she's trying to re-assert some control." and with a wave of Marya's hand the struggling in her brain stopped, she was totally pacified now. "I can sense someone in the abbey, come James, let us feed and regain our strength for what is to come."

The three now walked in silence. Raven felt like her mind was in a straight jacket now, unable to even think. But she decided one thing before she lost control.

She hated James, she hated Marya, she hated the Children of the Night. But she couldn't break away from them.

Where is her toy? She longed for it so badly now, but she couldn't remember what her toy even was.

Where is my toy? Where is my toy? I WANT my toy!

You can't have it, they won't let you have it.

* * *

When they entered the ruins of the abbey they'd found a couple who'd gone within to have a quick fling. They were kissing when the three arrived. Marya forced Raven to keep them held down while Marya and James fed on them. Raven felt like she should feel something as all the blood was drained from their bodies and their life force died. When she dropped them they were a pair of husk like rag-dolls, and Marya made Raven fling them out the window like rubbish.

Barry had now returned. He told Marya that he'd relayed the message to the Doctor, and he'd be coming soon.

"Are we really going to turn this girl into a Vampire?" Barry asked in disgust, aware Raven could not process these words. They were entering her mind, but she couldn't think about them.

"No. We can't, nor can we kill her." Marya said, taking Ravens jaw in her hand and squeezing it, making Raven look at her. "She's a 'handshake' like me, the demon who fathered her will have some protection against her dying before her time." and she flung Ravens face back. "That's why I stayed in hiding all these years, feasting on nothing but flat cattle up and down the country and the odd stray human. I had no such protection. But my 'purpose' is gone, my heritage destroyed. So I don't need to hide anymore."

"Then what are we going to do with her?" Barry asked.

"Ah, she is powerful, and useful." Marya smiled and giggled, "If we keep persuading her our enemies are also her own, then she can be a useful weapon to us. I've made her emotionally dependant on us. We can gladly clothe her, feed her, give her what she needs, and if she ever refuses to follow our line we threaten to throw her out into a cold and 'hostile' world. At least she'll believe the world is hostile once I'm done with her." She pinched Raven's chin and gently lifted it up. "Humans are so easy to manipulate if you instill 'fear' in just the right areas." and she pressed down on Raven's nose to bring her head back down and level.

Raven felt cold and empty now and she wasn't aware why.

"Where is my toy?" she asked, tears were starting to well in her eyes, "Where is my toy, I WANT my toy!"

"Shut up!" Marya said fixing Raven with a stare that stopped all emotion. The Vampire groaned. "We'll need to keep a close eye on her. Once we've dealt with the Doctor."

There was a loud screech and a familiar noise filled the air. Raven watched as among the rubble, a wavy, green and purple mist appeared to be floating in mid air, the colours of the Time Vortex. A wheezy groan sounded, like some kind of engine was coming down. A bright, blue light flashed with the wheezy groan as a dark form of a Police Box materialised where it had not existed before, it all stopped with a 'ka-chud'.

Raven had never seen what the TARDIS looked like when it entered and left reality.

The TARDIS?!

"My home..." Raven said taking a step forward. "I want to go to my home..."

"STOP!" Marya said, holding her hand up, and Raven obeyed.

The trio gathered around the TARDIS and waited for the Doctor to come out.

"Come out, Doctor!" Marya cried, "Come out, or I'll kill Raven."

But the door didn't open, the Doctor wasn't coming out.

With their attention on the TARDIS Raven heard someone come up behind her and whisper into her ear.

"Zagreus sits inside your head." She felt a pressure on her mind from outside as she was prompted to finish it.

"Zagreus lives among the dead." She said.

"Zagreus sees you in your bed." The voice said, she liked the sound of the voice. It was so soft and musical.

"And eats you when you're sleeping." She finished.

"Mary had a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb. Mary had a little lamb, it's fleece was white as snow." The voice said.

"Everywhere that Mary went that lamb was sure to go." She finished, the more she spoke the more the fog in her mind seemed to clear.

"Humpty, dumpty sat on a wall,..." and the voice retreated away from her. No, come back, please!

"...Humpty dumpty had a great fall. All the kings horses and all the kings men, couldn't put humpty together again." The fog cleared further.

"What did she say?" James asked, "She just spoke!"

"It's just submerged thoughts her surface mind is trying to express in ways I've limited." Marya turned back to the TARDIS and hammered on it. "Open up and come out."

"And if I do, you'll kill me?" The Doctor's voice said, echoing from the TARDIS.

"Not yet." Marya said, "We need a Time Lords knowledge to operate your machine."

"What for?" The Doctor asked.

"I'm going to use it to rip open a portal to the Yssgaroth home dimension, so we can flood in." Marya said smiling. "And feed."

"Ah, so it's not just my safety that is in danger, but that of the whole universe." The Doctor summarised. "Then I've decided, I'm not coming out."

"We will kill your companion!" Marya threatened

"If its the choice between her or the universe then there is no competition." the Doctor said, "Bye, bye, Rae-Rae. I will miss you." and the TARDIS engines started up again. No, please, don't go!

"NO! Raven, stop him!" Marya commanded, and Raven held up her hands and cast the TARDIS in a dark bubble. She then began playing with the outer TARDIS shell, stretching it, and bending it. The TARDIS screamed into the ether as Raven did this, its cries battered against the fog in her mind. She felt herself shivering at the sound of its pain, but it was stopping the TARDIS from taking off. Only when the TARDIS stopped making the wheezy-groan did Raven stop and the TARDIS snapped back into shape.

"When Raven wakes up she's going to be very annoyed you've been playing with her mind." The Doctor said through the TARDIS, "I've felt her wrath before. In fact, one second, where did I leave those strepsils?"

Marya's face was contorted into an angular, vicious face of anger as she glided towards Raven, parted her cloak and reached down her corset to fish for her broach.

 _Mine are still bigger._ Came a voice through the fog in Raven's mind. What did that mean?

Marya pulled the broach out, and pulled the TARDIS key from under it, and Marya dropped the broach on the floor, discarding it. Ravens eyes followed it as it lay on the floor. _That is mine! I want it back!_

"You forget Doctor, I have a key to your ship. If you won't come out. I'll go in there after you!" and she opened the door and stepped inside, the outer door slamming shut again before James nor Barry could enter. James pressed on the door. But it was locked again. They hammered on the door but the TARDIS refused them entry.

"Don't do that." said a voice coolly from behind Raven, "You'll scratch the paintwork."

Barry and James spun around and a look of surprise passed their faces. "DOCTOR?!" James shouted "How?!" He advanced, but something made him stop.

"I was never in the TARDIS." The Doctor explained. "I pre-set the coordinates and made the TARDIS take off on a solo journey. I then spoke into 'this.'" Though Raven couldn't see she guessed the Doctor lifted something up to his mouth and spoke. His voice sounded like it came from the TARDIS. "To make you think I was inside."

Stoker then appeared around her, brandishing some kind of rifle.

"This is loaded with silver shot." He said, "So don't move, you blaggards!" In his trouser belt he also had what looked like a polished, silver blade of some kind.

The Doctor then appeared holding his silver pocket watch and some kind of silver bladed dagger, which he was holding across himself in a defensive posture.

James and Barry retreated. "He's out here!" He cried banging on the TARDIS. "The Doctor is out here!"

"I'm afraid she can't hear you now." The Doctor said, pocketing his little device. "Unless she figures out which control is the scanner she can't hear anything outside." The Doctor then turned towards Raven and took her by the arm.

"Father?" Raven asked like an innocent child as she saw his thin face. She tilted her head to one side and asked again. "Father?"

"Father?" the Doctor questioned, "Better than 'toy' I suppose. No, it's the Doctor. Come on, lets get you away."

Her eyes began to glow brightly and her face contorted into a mask of rage. "Father!" she spat.

"No, Raven. I'm your friend!" The Doctor said, holding her arm firmly.

Raven blasted the Doctor off his feet and across the room with her powers. Her boots impacted the ground loudly as she approached him, her head lowered and her shoulders raised up, her arms wide, her fingers splayed like claws. Eyes blank and glowing, her face twisted into one of utter hatred.

"Father! I hate you!" she said "I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!" and she leapt at him like a vicious beast.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** Uh oh... the Doctors in trouble now. :P

I've technically got chapter 27 written up already, but I think it needs a little polish. Depending on how long it is, it might deal with some dark subjects. I'll let you know at the start of chapter 27 it is does. So stay tuned. ;)

As always, thank you to you guys who keep on reading and writing reviews and feedback, you guys are awesome. :D


	28. Chapter 27, Peace of Death

**Authors notes: *Warning*** This chapter does deal with a bit of a darker subject than usual, so I've upped the story rating to T instead of K+ to be safe. The subject starts at the first page break you come to in the chapter and ends with the next page break. I would just cut it out, but part of me feels it'd be a disservice to Ravens character development if I left it out. If anyone does find it distressing then please feel free to skip to the next page break in the knowledge that everything turned out okay for them, okay?

For those who do read it, let me know if you think it's still too strong. I really don't want to give this story an M-rating just for this.

* * *

 **Chapter 27**

 **The peace of Death.**

"Stoker no!" The Doctor called, and without turning Raven blasted Stoker across the room and into a wall. His gun clattered to the floor and went off with a bang wasting the shot.

Raven raised her arms and tried to encase the Doctor in dark energy with the intent on crushing him. But the Doctor rolled out of the way just before the dark energy trapped him.

"Raven, Raven!" The Doctor said grabbing her attention, "Your father, Trigon is coming!"

"'YOU' ARE MY FATHER!" Raven snarled and she lifted a loose boulder up with her powers and threw it at him. He had to dive out of the way of it as it crashed into the wall.

"Raven, Zagreus sits inside your head..." but the Doctor was picked up and thrown across the hall before he could complete more of that irritating rhyme. James stood in front of the Doctor now between her and him, and James looked like he was about to pounce. But Raven grabbed him by his collar with her hand and forcibly threw him out of the way, still advancing on the Doctor.

"Raven, Rae-Rae, listen. I'm not your father." The Doctor pleaded. "I'm just the Doctor, remember? I'm the Doctor!" But Raven wasn't listening.

Barry and James were now going after Stoker, but he had pulled out his silver blade and was waving it around trying to ward off his attackers.

The Doctor got up as brick work exploded around him.

"Fathers are kind, fathers are caring, fathers aren't nasty!" Raven said throwing energy blast, after energy blast at him, each one he dived out of the way of.

"What have I ever been to you? What has this face..." the Doctor circled his own features with his hand "...ever been to you?"

"Scary, secretive, arrogant, a threat." Raven spat.

"Have I ever been nasty?" the Doctor asked, "Has this face ever been nasty to you? Think!"

Raven reached out and grabbed the Doctors body with her power and lifted him up and threw him into the wall. Raven pounced, her fingers like claws trying to dig into the Doctors face. But the Doctor held up his hands and caught Raven's arms before they could get at him.

"Die, die, die!" She screamed, "I hate you! I hate you!" she hissed and her teeth became sharp.

Suddenly the Doctor lifted up her right arm, let go of her left and dived underneath her right arm while still keeping hold of her right wrist. He stepped around her back and he pushed her arm around the back of her, and rested his free hand on her left shoulder, holding her in a lock.

"Please calm down." the Doctor pleaded, but Raven blasted him off her and sent him back down to the ground.

"You'll take everything from me!" Raven hissed, "It's because of you why everyone hates me, why everyone fears me, why I am evil!"

"Raven, you're not evil! Marya is controlling your mind. She's twisted and manipulated you. I'm not your enemy, I am your guardian, I am your friend. Raven, I am not Trigon, I am the Doctor, I am not your father!"

Something snapped in Raven, the Doctor saying that was just making her more angry. She slammed her fist into the wall, her powers providing extra speed and power, it shattered the rock as she screamed. "I want a father! I want a 'real' father!"

She called the Doctor to her and he shot forwards, his throat landed in her long fingers as she began to close them over his throat. She was going to crush his neck and end him.

The Doctors eyes looked into Ravens, they looked sad. Why did her fathers eyes look sad? They never looked sad.

"I'm sorry." He said through his crushing throat and she decided to give this monster some last words to say. "If I was your father, I'd be so proud of you." and the Doctor lost consciousness.

Proud? Trigon wasn't proud. Trigon was never proud, he was a selfish demon. Why didn't this gel in her mind?

"STOP!" screamed a voice. It was Marya, she had worked out the Doctors little trick and was now framed in the TARDIS doorway. Raven didn't release her grip. "I said stop! Drop him!" and Raven reluctantly let the Doctor go and he fell to the floor.

Marya walked up, grabbed the Doctors unconscious body and effortlessly picked him up and dragged him back, Raven followed. She had questions, but not the capacity to ask them.

Marya laid the Doctor out on a stone slab and lifted his head up so she had a good view of his neck.

Stoker was held in Barry's grasp, the sword discarded across the floor.

"Don't damage him." Marya shouted at Barry, "It's too soon and he is still important. I understand what he is destined to do from reading our friends mind. There is no point in opening a gateway to my home dimension if the fabric of time falls apart before then."

Marya turned back to the Doctor. "Now, my Time Lord friend. You're going to reveal all your secrets and knowledge." She opened her mouth, it was full of sharp teeth. "By drinking all of your blood."

James came and stood beside Raven, he laughed gleefully. "Was it fun playing with your 'toy' at last?"

My... toy? Toy? The Doctor was... The Doctor was... The Doctor was not Trigon. The Doctor was... The Doctor is... my toy. My toy. MY TOY!

"The Doctor, is my toy!" Raven said, "My toy, I want my toy!" She said longingly.

Marya paused. "You can have him once he's nothing more than a ragged-dolled-corpse." she spat and moved to bite into the Doctors neck.

But he's my toy, my toy! Mine, mine, MINE! Something snapped in Raven's head. She reached out and called the Doctors body to her and she held him tightly against her. She knelt down like she was protecting him. "MINE!" she announced, holding him like he was some sort of comforting possession to her. "My toy, I have my toy..."

"LET GO OF HIM!" Marya screamed at her, "The Time Lord must die!"

"Get your own!" Raven spat back.

"What's wrong with her?" James asked, looking at Marya for guidance.

"'Toy' might have been the wrong word for her to associate with the Doctor." Marya said.

Yes, it was true. Raven didn't have many toys, so those few she was gifted with she often cherished and took care of. Not used nor abused like Marya had expected. A toy was certainly the wrong thing to make her call the Doctor, especially if she took care of her toys.

"Listen to me and believe..." Marya said trying to burrow into her mind again. "The Doctor is your father, the Doctor is Trigon, he must be destroyed!"

"LIES!" Raven spat, "He is my toy. I 'need' my toy. I won't let you take my toy away from me!"

"You can have the 'toy' so long as I can have its blood!" Marya said advancing towards them.

"LEAVE MY TOY ALONE!" and she cast a barrier at Marya and she was flung back into the wall.

"You vicious, pathetic little creature!" Marya said as she got back up. "You will pay for that!"

Something was bubbling up in Raven. The thing she had been trying to suppress. Not herself. But something else. Something bigger, deeper and darker within her. Her eyes turned scarlet, her teeth became pointy.

Raven threw herself to her feet, the fog in her head clearing as something erupted out from her core. Her cloaked body elongated along with her cloak and she stood tall, like a telephone pole. From the hem of her cloak black tentacles sprouted out from underneath.

"Zagreus sits inside your head, Zagreus lives among the dead," she said, her voice having an unearthly echo to it. "Zagreus sees you in your bed, and eats you all!"

Black tentacles snaked for James and wrapped themselves around him. He screamed as he was pulled off his feet and was being dragged under the cloak with the darkness.

"Raven, listen to me and believe!" Marya said.

"LIAR!" Raven shouted.

"What are you doing? You can't do this!" Marya said, taking a step back.

"Really? 'Why have the power if you don't use it?' I think you said." Raven laughed "Well, I am using it."

Screaming, James was dragged under her cloak, into the sea of wriggling tentacles and his shouts stopped.

"Such a bitter individual," Raven commented, "So consumed by his own anger, and delusions."

"The Doctor must die!" Marya said. "Remember what I told you about the Time Lords? They murdered the Yssgaroth!"

"Don't take me for a fool!" Raven said, seizing Marya by her throat with a tentacle, "All that happened long before he was born. He's no more responsible for all the dead than you are your fathers." She held Marya close to her own face. "But do you know what the difference is between you and him?" Ravens eyes burnt red with fury. "He learns. You carried on, because you thought you were owed something. You carried on, knowing it was bad!" and swinging Marya she slammed her into the floor, up into the ceiling forgetting this ruin didn't have a ceiling, then across into the walls, back to the other wall and then back down into the floor, and she just kept bashing this creature into the floor again and again and again like a club. Marya was a vampire, she'd survive this, but Raven was going to make sure it hurt.

"STOP!" said a small voice, and Ravens head slowly turned to look at the new voice. Barry had Stoker in a hold and held the sword to his neck. "Release Marya and James, or this bloke is dead." Stoker was clearly shocked by what he saw from Raven that he didn't notice he was in danger.

Ravens form snaked down to him, and the sword exploded into atoms at Ravens powers. Before he could get his bearings a black tentacle seized Barry's leg and dragged him towards her cloak.

"What's wrong? You guys wanted to play. So lets play!" She taunted. Barry grabbed onto a loose stone but the tentacle heaved him off, "Come, I want to invite you to join the party!" and Barry disappeared under the flowing robe. He tried to haul himself back out again, fear and desperation clear on his face, but more tentacles came out from the cloak, and they pushed and pulled him back under.

Suddenly arms clamped around Raven, just under her shoulders as Marya leapt onto her back and was clearly trying to bite her neck. Raven tried to shake her off, but her arms were so tight around her.

"Take them off, or I'll break them off!" and when Marya refused, Raven did just that.

Marya fell to the floor screaming as her arms dropped to the floor, severed at her shoulders.

"Well, look at that. You're 'armless!" and a black tentacle grabbed her, and Ravens cloak opened up to accept one more person into the darkness. "'You' are my 'new toy', come to me toy, I want to play."

Marya screamed loud for the first time in utter terror as she was pulled into the darkness and the cloak closed over her. Her screams stopped.

They struggled, they all struggled. But this is what they deserved for disturbing her peace and ordered mind. They toyed with her mind, now she toyed with theirs. They were like clay in her hands, she could do whatever she liked to them now. They were hers, they belonged to her, life, body and whatever remained of their souls.

There was a loud clang that drew her attention from the souls within her. Stoker was slowly backing away, brandishing the Doctors dropped silver dagger. As if that would be any threat to her.

"Ah, Stoker." Raven said, swiping the sword from his hand as easily as she would a fly. Her form snaked down so her head was up against his. "You still need inspiration to write Dracula? Allow me to give you some ideas!"

An arc of angular, dark energy snaked from under her cloak, it formed into a long, slender claw, and she clamped it down around Stokers head. Raven grinned and giggled with relish as she showed him some of the most horrific things she could think of. His body went rigid his eyes stared vacantly, and he screamed in despair.

"NO!" The Doctor screamed, he was back on his feet and he pushed himself in front of her and Stoker, and stared into her eyes.

"Ah, my toy." Raven said smiling, the black claw now creepily caressing the Doctors face, "my favourite toy!" But as the Doctors eyes stared into her own she found her rage faltering. His eyes looked disapproving. Why? What was happening?

She suddenly gasped as if she'd been held under water. Her eyes returned to their normal purple and her form contracted back down to her usual height. As her mind cleared she was aware of three bodies under her cloak. Her cloak parted and three white haired people fell out, still alive. They were shivering and just had a look of utter horror on their faces. They weren't going anywhere, their minds had been destroyed.

What had just happened? Everything came flooding back into her mind and her brain processed all of it. She stumbled over to the wall and held her head, trying to compartmentalise whatever darkness had just crawled out of it back into a box.

"Stoker? Stoker, are you alright?" The Doctor called, he was standing over a body. Stokers body. Stoker was looking out of blank eyes in utter terror and horror. "Raven, what have you done?" The Doctor cried. He turned towards her. She was shaking.

The look on Stokers face was terrible to see. What had she done? She looked at the three, the Children of the Night, who despite being young looked aged and old. The ones who had manipulated her. They stared up at her, utter terror in their eyes. Those accusing eyes. The eyes who knew what she was. Knew what creature she was, knew her dark side.

Still shaking Raven clamped her hands over her mouth and stared back at the Doctor. "I'm sorry..." she said, her eyes welling up, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" But the Doctor just stared at her as if she was evil.

She stumbled as she moved backwards at the Doctors gaze, pushing herself along the wall. The Doctor looked at her accusingly. _What have I done? What have I done?!_ She'd enjoyed it...

Raven broke off from the wall and ran for the TARDIS, but the door was locked. She wanted to get away. "Let me in!" she screamed and hammered on the door, a boulder on the floor exploded as power escaped her. She put her shoulder to the door. She screamed "Let me in, let me in, please!" The door practically burst open for her. She stumbled as she ran through the console room, to the door at the back and disappeared back to her room.

 _What have I done? What have I become?!_ The answer came. _You became your father._

"NO!" She screamed into the TARDIS corridors.

* * *

 _What have I done?!_ Raven thought as she sat on the floor, crossed legged in her room, hands on her head. Visions of what was yet to pass flooded into her mind again. The dead, the devastation, the utter ruin. She'd relished what she had done, twisted and warped people purely for her own amusement, then she'd terrorised an innocent man just because it was fun.

 _I'm not evil! I'm not evil! I'm not evil!_ She chanted in her head. But for a brief moment what she had wanted to do just felt so... right. This wasn't like the Shaydes, they were destructive. Stoker had been an innocent person and she had crushed his mind.

Tears welled in her eyes, but like always she refused to release them.

Her mind went back to the future she'd create. Was it inevitable? Can't she stop it?

Sutekh the destroyer. The Doctor had described him. A being who had or could've destroyed the future, like she would, so it was possible she could too. Leave nothing but dust and decay. Would she even care by that point, or would she be numb to it?

 _You didn't kill young Corentin._ Said a voice in her head.

 _I couldn't look into his eyes and do it._ Raven corrected, wondering if she could do it if she did it by magic, from a distance.

She felt like she had disappointed herself, her mother, and Azar.

 _What about the Doctor?_ A voice asked. _WHAT ABOUT HIM?!_ She fired back.

Raven had decided, she couldn't end a great evil herself, kill a child who'd become evil. That was too difficult for her. But maybe she could save the universe, literally save it, if she destroyed herself.

She stood up and from her robes her hands snaked out and arranged themselves into the correct positions. The TARDIS was in motion again, she could feel it. She'd hoped the Doctor had set everything right, fixed the damage she'd caused. She was going to open a portal to the Time Vortex and step out into it. The Time Winds would age her to death in seconds. Trigon would never have his portal long enough to pass through it.

She waved her hands and cast her spell, and a dark portal opened up. She could hear the whistles and weeps of the Time Vortex as the TARDIS sailed through it.

Touch two wires together, pinch her fingers together, this time it'd take but two steps and she'd save the universe, and her own suffering would end.

Her brooding was interrupted by a soft knock on the door.

"Rae-Rae," the Doctor called, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, go away!" Raven tried to shout levelly but emotion cracked at the edges of her voice.

"Raven, we need to talk." He said. "Please."

"Go away!" She said more firmly.

"Rae-Rae." he said.

"JUST PISS OFF!" Raven fumed. The Doctor waited before speaking.

"I'll be in the kitchens." He said. Like she cared.

Raven looked at the portal again, she was trembling. She didn't want the Doctor to know what she was about to do. He'd only try to stop her, and she didn't want anyone to stop her. She was a burden on whoever took her in. Her mother, the monks of Azarath, Azar himself, the Doctor, anyone who took her in didn't know what they were in for, her power, her rage, her evil. Two steps and she'd free them of that responsibility. It was the kindest thing to do for both all of them and for the universe, and it'd be the biggest middle finger to her father.

She took one step forwards and could feel a breeze from the portal. She closed her eyes. All she had to do was push forwards just once more. She raised her foot, took a deep breath and began to lean forward, preparing herself to feel oblivion.

Suddenly she was yanked away by her right arm as it was held in a vice like grip by the Doctor. How did he get in here? He was in her room. She wanted him to get out, but more so she wanted him to release her.

She reached up to his arm and tried to force him to let go of her, but his grip was too tight. His eyes were both penetrating and sad as he held onto her. In anger she slapped him across the face, but that didn't faze him. Instead she punched him in the stomach and tried whacking her free fist on him. But he just stood and took all the blows, even though they clearly hurt. She just had to force him to let go long enough for her to dive into the portal. Couldn't he see this is what she wanted? This wasn't any cry for attention, this was real, she wanted it to end so badly.

Now the Doctor had somehow grabbed her other wrist. In her anger and frustration her power wouldn't focus, instead it just caused things around her to explode.

"Let go of me!" she cried, "Get off me! The universe would be better, it'll be safer if I'm dead!" she shrieked and tried to yank herself away from him. "I'm a monster, I'm evil. I deserve to die, I want to die! I WANT TO DIE!"

"And I believe, that you believe that." The Doctor said sadly.

"LET GO! LET-ME-GO!" She tried to drag herself towards the portal, but the Doctor stood firm. He even took a step back, dragging her with him for good measure. "I don't want to live anymore. Let me die, I want to die!"

She wasn't going to win and the more she struggled the more her frustration seemed to bleed away. Her concentration faltered causing the portal to lose structure and it collapsed, and no matter how hard she tried she couldn't force it to reopen, not in her current emotional state. Finally, she just gave up on her struggle. Her head lowered and her arms went limp as she relaxed, defeated.

"Please..." she said to him, eyes closed, her voice trembling "Please, I just want to die..." her voice cracked, "I can't take this struggle any more, I want to die... please... I can't live with myself." No tears, but she still began sobbing, "Turn me over to the Time Lords, I don't care any more if they want to kill me. I just want the peace of death."

She could sense the Doctor was unsure how to proceed. He was an alien after all, he didn't understand human emotions any more than she did.

He let go of her wrists and her arms just fell limply to her sides. She just stood there, head angled down, her hands by her sides, eyes still closed. She felt so hollow.

The Doctor suddenly stepped forward and embraced her. Pressing her head to his chest, and she could hear his twin hearts beating.

 _He's hugging me, get him off me!_ Her mind shrieked like a cat introduced to water. But she felt too emotionally drained to play the tough girl.

"Please, I just want the pain to end, forever." She said. Her eyes were wet but again, no tears.

"I know you do." The Doctor said. That wasn't a response she'd expected to hear. She expected denial, she expected him to talk her up. Try to convince her that its better to just go on living.

Raven noticed her powers were on the loose and the pair were surrounded by a storm of swirling blackness. Everything in this depressing room lifted up off the floor and began orbiting her, including her bed and cabinets.

Gently, the Doctor rested a hand on her head and rocked her from side to side, and his gentle voice began to hum a slow tune, and hummed in a way Raven just found so soothing to her mind.

"The things I'm going to cause. The people I'm going to hurt, I can't take it any more. Please... kill me..." Why was she doing this? Why was she pouring her heart out. _Stop it! You're embarrassing yourself._

 _Leave me alone..._

She sniffed through her nose as she listened to the Doctors two hearts beating as one. She could sense his aura, and he was struggling with something. Something deep and dark within himself.

"I'm going to become evil some day." The Doctor suddenly said.

"Huh?" _He's patronising you again._ She told herself. _He's the least evil person you know._

"Two regeneration's back, I was put on trial by the Time Lords. They'd claimed I had meddled in the universe and caused untold damage to the Web of Time." The Doctor said. "It was a farce trial. But my accuser, the man who wanted me dead so much. He was such a slimy, twisted, wicked, and evil creature under his mask. He called himself the Valeyard."

The Valeyard, that name again.

"Valeyard. Someone who holds high qualifications in the field of law. Someone who has a doctorate in it."

Ravens eyes opened as she connected the dots.

"He was me, or some part of me. Something that'll be expressed between my twelfth and final incarnations."

"Are you just making it up?" Raven accused, her voice weak.

"I only wish I was." He said, his voice level and steady but haunted. "I wish it was just a bad dream. Just a badly cooked gumblejack before bedtime. I've done battle with him many times throughout my sixth incarnation, and a couple of times in my seventh."

Raven was silent as she listened, she sniffed again, her eyes felt a little drier.

"Did you ever consider..." Raven began to ask, but the Doctor cut her off.

"Yes. Yes I did." He said. "I thought if I could purge this evil from the universe then my remaining lives will gladly be given in return. I've nearly traded them in for far fewer steaks after all."

"Why didn't you?" she asked as her bed and book shelf gently passed her view, orbiting her.

"Because I had already defeated the Valeyard on several occasions. He is my responsibility after all, being me. So I charged myself with being the balance to him. Whenever I stumbled upon one of his schemes, whether it be an attempt to conquer, interfere, extend his own life or steal mine. I'd defeat him, and beat him back."

"But if he's you, couldn't he use that knowledge against you?" Raven questioned.

"Time's in flux, as is the mind." He explained, then he laughed. "Actually I don't know why. I don't know why he wants to steal my life force. Surely that in itself is a paradox, but he seems able to do it. I don't know truly what he is, but he's a spectre that has been following me around these past few centuries. I just hope that when it happens..." the Doctor had not used 'if' he had used 'when' "...there will be someone equally heroic to defeat him, to defeat me." Sadness radiated from him.

 _What are you doing?_ She asked herself as her hands began to move, snaking around his back. _What are you doing?!_ It asked again. _Stop it. Don't show weakness to him. You'll hate yourself in the morning._

 _WILL-YOU-SHUT-UP!_ She shouted into her mind as she embraced the Doctor in a... she refused to use the word 'hug'. It sounded mushy. She embraced him, just that. This wise man, a fractured man, a man who stared his destiny in the face, laughed at it, fought it, and even mocked it. He was a solid pillar that can be so harsh and weathered underneath, but at the same time on the surface was so soft and gentle.

Slowly the maelstrom that her powers stirred up faded and everything came to a stop. It was all back in its place, but the place would still need a good tidy.

Raven admitted to herself that she would've been proud to call the Doctor her uncle. No, not just her uncle. She actually wished he was her real father.

She sniffed again.

"If you mention this to anyone..." Raven said, her voice now calmer. "and I mean anyone. I swear, I will kill you."

"I know." He laughed and just held her tighter.

Raven let a few small and low giggles escape her too, too small for the Doctor to notice.

* * *

They were back in the console room again, the TARDIS was in flight. Raven stared at the time rotor again as it moved. She didn't know where the Doctor was taking her, but she guessed she was about to be punished for what she did.

Whatever it was, she'd accept it. She deserved it.

"Stoker is fine." The Doctor said. "While you were in your room I went into his mind myself and cut and pasted a lot of the stuff you left in there back out." The Doctor stopped fiddling with the controls and looked at her. "You have a rather nasty imagination, Rae-Rae."

Raven didn't say anything, she looked away. She recalled all she had done. The way she'd helped Marya feast. The way she'd treated the Doctor like a puppet. She was even embarrassed that she'd called the Doctor her 'toy'.

"I left Stoker in his bed back in the guesthouse. Hopefully he'll chalk it up to some bad cheese the night before and time won't be damaged too much." The Doctor moved to a control. "Looking at the time curve indicator, nothing much changed. Though at a glance through the novel, I'm sure he didn't mention Dracula riding moon beams. Though that might be more my fault since he watched the TARDIS materialise within the light of a full moon."

The Doctor was trying to lighten the mood and make her happy, it wasn't working.

"Marya and her two vampires I've left in the hands of the Time Lords. They can deal with them. It's practically their own mess anyway." The Doctor said waving his hand dismissively. "They'll probably imprison them in Sh... Sha...Shad..." the Doctor seemed to be searching for a word, "Somewhere or other."

"Why didn't you kill them? Weren't they your enemies?" Raven asked.

"I bound them in silver, and it'll take a while for Marya to grow her arms back." The Doctor said realising he shouldn't have mentioned about Marya's arms. "I had steel daggers with me in case I had no choice. But see it like this, they're alive. There's enough killing in the universe."

"But what kind of life have I left them in?" They were bad, sure. But Raven knew too well what she'd done to them. It might have been kinder to let them die. "Doctor, is it true the Vampires were once peaceful farmers?"

The Doctor sighed deeply. "I don't know. The records don't go that far back, so its certainly possible." He looked on sadly as he adjusted controls on the console. "There are plenty of skeletons in my peoples closets so it's possible. Some say it was the Eternal War, a war that was so long and so bloody, that made Gallifrey swear off war altogether." He put his hands in his pockets. "Though that could be because there were no other civilisations in the universe who could rival them."

Ka-Chud!

The TARDIS had landed and the Doctor operated the door control. Looking down on the ground Raven walked slowly towards the black void and the open doors, ready for her punishment.

She pulled open the doors and stepped outside. Into the sunshine. The air was pleasant, the grass beneath her feet was green. There were horses and karts dotted around the place and she was standing in the middle of a street of an old-fashioned looking town.

"Clontarf, North side of Dublin. 1854." The Doctor announced.

"Why have you brought me here?" Raven asked, she stood out here but she didn't bother putting on a cloak of perception, instead she just kept her hood up and her cloak draped over her body.

"This way." The Doctor said walking away and Raven followed him. Down a few streets which had plenty of terrace like buildings. They went to a specific door. "Here we are, 15 Marino Crescent."

"What are we doing here?" Raven asked.

"It's 1854, Bram Stoker would be about seven." the Doctor announced. Raven put two and two together.

"This is his home?" Raven asked, "Why bring me here?!" Her eyes were wide and questioning.

"Because Bram Stoker had an illness as a child, one which went away mysteriously and without reason." He said, "You should remember it, he mentioned it at tea."

"I might have had other things on my mind." Raven admitted feeling a little ashamed.

"Well." The Doctor said and looked at her.

"You think 'I' cured him?" She questioned.

"It is rather convenient that I happen to be carting around a healer with me." The Doctor said, smiling. "And it would make up for what you will do to him. See it like this, you're about to give a young boy a new lease of life by doing this."

The Doctor knocked on the door.

"Put a delay on the effects though. Stoker's illness was supposed to vanish mysteriously. Not because of a mysteriously pale girl with magical hands." The Doctor stood up straight, but then added. "Oh and make sure it starts fading gradually and then quickly vanishes entirely. That's what the history book says. Don't worry, I'll keep you right."

Was this another English-ism she wasn't aware of. "You'll keep me... 'right'?" Raven questioned.

"If you promise to be a good girl, from now on." The Doctor smiled and Raven's eyes grew wide at the misunderstanding.

"That's not what I..." but the door was pulled open and a woman looked at the pair of them.

"Hello, I'm a doctor. I'm here to see about Master Abraham Stoker."

* * *

Raven felt better for helping the small boy. She hadn't recognised him without his beard, and his bedroom was full of books. Oh so many books.

Raven didn't like kids, but she had to admit she liked that one. He was so quiet and respectful, calling her Miss Raven as she worked her magic on him. It kind of broke her heart to pretend she couldn't do anything for him, he'd looked so hopeful and they'd crushed it.

"Give it a few weeks." The Doctor said, "He'll be well enough to walk. Then in a few years he'll be top of his class in fitness. Making up for lost time."

"Thank you." Raven had said meekly without looking at the Doctor.

"Oh, by the way." The Doctor went into his pocket. "I believe this is yours." And he handed Raven back her broach, the one she'd lost, the one she'd thought she'd left on the ground in Whitby Abbey 1890. She took it, thankful, it even had the TARDIS key replaced inside it. She fastened it back onto her cloak. Now she felt complete.

Suddenly the Doctor had decided they should go further into Dublin and explore. Raven had no arguments as long as they didn't get into any more trouble.

Children played in the street as the sun bared down on them while they were in an open park area, and suddenly the Doctor pointed.

"Look, the Muffin Man." There was a wooden cart, on wheels and a man appeared to be selling muffins. "Come on, I'll buy you a Muffin." and they joined the line to get one.

Raven looked around. No one knew who she was and everyone seemed to be respectful. No one looked upon her in suspicion or fear, though some gazed at her funny attire. But she didn't care.

The Doctor bought a pair of muffins and they moved aside to let a woman with a baby stroller in to get her helping.

Raven bit into the muffin. She'd never had one before, her face rose. She liked it.

Behind them the baby in the carriage had just woken up and began crying.

"Oh, hush little Oscar, we'll be back at home soon." Said the woman in a thick Irish accent.

"Here you go, Miss Wilde." The Muffin Man said in another thick accent as he handed her the muffins.

 _Wait a minute,_ Raven thought. _Wilde? Oscar? As in Oscar Wilde? The famous poet Stoker had mentioned? Oh no..._

Raven looked at the Doctor, he'd put two and two together too, and he got that look on his face that told him he was about to go all fan-boy again. The Doctor moved off to get a closer look.

Raven clamped her hand into the collar of his coat and she dragged him forcibly back in the opposite direction.

"Raven?!"

"NO, NO, NO!" She repeated slowly and firmly.

"But it's 'thee' Oscar Wilde." the Doctor said, "Baby Oscar Wilde!"

"I SAID NO!"

* * *

Now back in the TARDIS, all was well again. The machine wheezed and groaned as it moved off to its next destination, the Doctor gently hummed to himself while he operated the controls, and Raven was sitting in the Doctors reading chair reading Dracula, first edition. It was fun to find where Stoker had taken inspiration from their little adventure.

Dracula pretending to have bought a property in London, the Doctor bluffing that he wanted to buy a place in Whitby.

Jonathan Harker being hypnotised and becoming a servant of Dracula.

There were even parts that the Doctor had said were similar to when he fought the King Vampire in E-Space, that he unashamedly said he implanted himself when he fixed Stokers mind.

There were other things Raven definitely knew she put in there, but didn't want to think about herself.

She finished and closed the book. The Doctor, what a hypocrite. This book was practically a mixture of what she suspected were bits of the Doctors adventures. But the Doctor could be forgiven, it seems their adventure was part of the natural flow of time.

Raven picked up another book. A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, and she opened it, wondering if any part of it was influenced by the Doctor too, somehow. She guessed it probably was.

There was a loud bleeping coming from the console. Ravens eyes just rolled to look at the console as the Doctor moved to inspect the bleeping.

"We have a call for help. From the telepathic circuits." The Doctor announced. Raven couldn't sense anything, but she guessed the TARDIS had a much more sophisticated telepathic system than her own.

The Doctor motioned to the console. "Shall we?"

Raven looked at him over the pages of her book. She just shrugged, that's all he was getting out of her. But from behind her book she was hiding a smile.

The Doctor began operating controls and set the TARDIS to the next destination.

BANG! Sparks erupted from the console and it felt like the interior had rolled onto its side.

Everything slid to one side of the room. The Doctor held onto the console for dear life and Raven managed to float off the chair and into the air before the complete works of Shakespeare fell on top of her. Followed by that big filing cabinet at the back.

Raven floated up towards the Doctor as he hung from the console. The Time Rotor had also stopped.

"I think we've landed." She said drily.

"Yes, well spotted." The Doctor coughed. "I'm not sure what happened." He said as he climbed onto the steel girder that surrounded the console. "What do the readouts say?"

Raven floated to the opposite side of the console to look at the readouts.

"Midnight." She said.

"Okay, but where and what date?" the Doctor asked. "The Atmosphere, temperature, radiation meter?"

"Umm... It's the 7th Day of something. But..." she decided to read out exactly what those rollers and dials in the console said. "What does it mean when the controls all say, 'Death!,' 'The End?,' 'Help me', 'please', 'I'm scared!'?"

From deep within the TARDIS that big, dull bell was sounding.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** Blimey that's a long one! Yep, I already have another adventure planned. So stay tuned ;)

Again, thanks everyone who are reading this story, leaving the lovely comments. You guys are fantastic. ;)

I was just going to end the chapter with Raven dragging the Doctor away from Baby Oscar Wilde, but I wanted something to whet peoples appetites for the next mini-story. ;)

I was unsure about the inclusion of Ravens attempt to destroy herself. But after reading it back I thought it just necessary to include it, so I decided to leave it in and make it a little more 'family friendly' from the original. If anyone thinks its too strong for even a T-rated story, let me know via PM and I'll adjust it.

Okay, technically Bram Stoker would've started school around September 1854, Oscar Wilde was born October 1854, and Bram Stoker would have to make a full recovery around that time because it said he'd recovered around the time he started school. But I so wanted that scene at the end so lets have some artistic licence going in here and say the illness began clearing up around October time. Okay? ;)

I'm not sure if a Muffin-Man was a real thing or not. I know the 4th Doctor mentions it at the end of the Talons of Weng-Chiang, but all my research tells me it's just a nursery rhyme. So I don't know. But it just adds to the atmosphere and the period so I'm leaving it in.

Now if you'll excuse me, I suddenly feel like a muffin. :P

Cheers

-TimeLordParadox


	29. Bk 5 Chapter 28, A Curious Reunion

**Authors notes:** This one is a bit of a mystery style story for the pair of them.

This actually started out as a fan fiction for the 13th Doctor, but I was having trouble writing for the Doctor and her companions. But while writing it I found it would actually work and fit better into this ever growing series of adventures for Raven and the 8th Doctor.

* * *

 **BOOK 5**

 **Death in the Family.**

Raven has her first Christmas experience, up in the mountains in a strange house with seven very strange people. Time is frozen and they are under attack by a collection of shadowy creatures, each one determined to kill them all. Everything seems to revolve around the seventh member of this family. A tramp of a man who doesn't even know how he got there.

* * *

 **Chapter 28**

 **A Curious Reunion.**

"OUCH!" came a voice from an up-turned Police Box.

"What happened?" said Raven's voice from within the box.

"I've just walked into a wall." the Doctors voice said.

"I think that's a floor." Raven said.

"Hmm, I'm glad I have you around to set me straight." The Doctors voice said sarcastically. "A little help?"

The Police Box was suddenly shrouded in blackness and was forced back up onto its base, the Doctor tumbling out of the front doors. Once the box was set down again Raven exited, back in her usual leotard attire. She liked the other clothes but she preferred this attire. If push came to shove she could just cast another one of her masking spell on herself.

Before they left the Doctor had flipped a switch which righted the TARDIS interior dimensions, back to the way they were before, and Raven had picked up everything that had piled up in front of the doors with her powers and gently set them all back down where they came from. The Doctor had looked at the strange message on the controls in thought, pondering their meaning.

Without a word he'd gone straight to the doors when they were clear and stepped out, and planted face first into the stone floor, forgetting the TARDIS exterior was still flipped up onto its front.

The Doctor got up and dusted himself down. "Oh, the coat is gathering dust, the velvet will ruin." The floor was very dusty.

"Have you ever thought of changing? Maybe into something more practical?" Raven asked.

"Have you?" The Doctor said back instantly, and Raven looked down at her own leotard and cloak attire.

"Smart ass." Raven commented under her breath.

"I heard that." The Doctor said as he looked around, or rather felt around because they were in pitch darkness, except for a little moon light which seemed to be coming in from broad, short windows dotted around the top of this room like a dotted line.

She could see the edges of dark, box like structures and by the feel of them they were made of wood. She felt her way around and found what felt like a wall and began fishing around.

"I've got some torches back in the TARDIS." The Doctor said and moved back towards the Police Box, the sign above the doors glowing white.

"Won't that cause a fire?" Raven asked, thinking he meant a burning torch.

"Very funny, you're getting the hang of humour already!" The Doctor said rather drily but with humour. Raven didn't understand for a moment until she realised he meant 'torch' as in 'flash-light.' _Him and his stupid Englishisms._ "Be right back." The Doctor said.

"Or..." Raven said loudly enough to catch his attention as she felt a switch and flipped it, and it clicked. Suddenly the room was illuminated. "...we could just turn the lights on."

Boxes and crates lined the walls. There was furniture sprawled here and there, most of it covered in sheets or clean-film to protect it from dust, packed away in storage. "We're in a basement," the Doctor commented, "I can tell from the barometric pressure."

"I'm amazed at your deductions." Raven said flatly. It was obvious they were in some kind of basement, or underground structure. She didn't need to be a Time Lord to work that out.

"You didn't tell me what the console meant by 'Death', 'The End', 'Help me', 'Please'" Raven said. When the Doctor looked at the controls he just looked at them with an ominous look.

"I honestly don't know. The TARDIS is not meant to do that." The Doctor said, peaking under a sheet cover to see what was under it. "But I guess something here is calling out for help. It must be a powerful telepath to reach the TARDIS telepathic circuits."

"Midnight on the seventh day of 'help me'." Raven commented. That's as much as they knew but beyond that they had no clues.

The Doctor pulled off a sheet on a large table in the middle that looked like it had an odd structure underneath it to reveal... a model train set.

Raven approached and looked down upon it. She'd never seen a train set before and she honestly didn't understand the point of it. All that effort just to watch electric motors dressed up like trains run around and around in circles for hours. She'd get more enjoyment watching paint dry. But as always the Doctor was so excited and he saw fun where she saw boredom.

"Oh, I love train sets!" the Doctor said excitedly, "I have one in the TARDIS somewhere. A larger one than this. I'll show you, later!"

"I can hardly contain my excitement." Raven said flatly as the Doctor dived under the table, and seemed to activate some switches. A lamp above came on, illuminating the train set, and small lights came on in the houses. The trains began moving, all producing an electric clattering noise as they all pulled their carriages.

"Doctor!" Raven said urgently through gritted teeth, "This isn't our house, and that isn't your toy!"

"Neither am I yours, yet you still played." Raven felt herself going red in the cheeks after remembering that whole, embarrassing episode. To hide it she pulled her hood up over her face so her cheeks were cast in dark shadows. "Anyway I just want to have a look." He said happily. Raven closed her eyes and sighed, he was going to get them into trouble again.

With the light on they could see the whole thing. The Doctor excitedly pointed out the shunting yards and turn tables in the middle, on the outer edges were the villages and train stations. Around the table there were the simple controls that operated the tracks and turn tables. The Doctor knelt down and rested his chin on the edge of the table and watched the trains just go around and around in circles. How can one so intelligent find entertainment in something so mundane?

"You know, I was once on board one before." The Doctor said nostalgically.

"A train?" Raven asked.

"No, a small model train like this. Me and Nyssa were once inside a carriage and I had to work out how to stop the train. One of my enemies tried to trap me inside a model train set, you see." Raven was tempted to do just that, but... no she couldn't, she couldn't. Not because it was beyond her abilities, but because she didn't want to waste her weekly treat so soon. Her one, 'irritate the Doctor with a spell' treat she promised herself. It was only Monday, so she'd save it for later.

Raven was about to switch the power off herself when the thing inexplicably died on its own.

"That wasn't me." Raven said before the Doctor could accuse her. He went back under the table and flipped the switch again, and again. But the trains remained still.

"Fuse must've blown." He said standing back up.

"Does any of this answer the question of why we're here?" Raven asked, "Because otherwise its a fruitless exercise."

"You know, I can't help feeling there is something familiar about this set." The Doctor said, and shushed her when she was about to be antagonistic to his fascination with it. "The lay out of the villages, the ponds, the bridges. It reminds me of something, a place I've been too before." The Doctor gently knocked on his own head. "Maybe in my first or second incarnations. You know I'm sure the Time Lords erased more then they were supposed to."

"Erased?" Raven asked.

"I was exiled to Earth in my third incarnation. Don't ask me why, it's rather dull." Raven wanted to make a smart ass comment but refrained. She also knew why the Doctor was exiled, but didn't want to speak in case he worked out she'd once intruded into his own mind-space. "But when I was. The Time Lords erased portions of Time Travel theory from my brain. But I'm sure someone in the department was a little too happy with it. I forgot I'd ever seen the Muppet movie, or been to Wales, or read the whole Twilight Saga. Though having read it over again having them erased was probably more a relief." Raven gently smacked him sharply over the head and the Doctor went "Ow."

"You're going off on a tangent again." Raven said.

"That's a relief," the Doctor said "I thought for a second you liked the Twilight Saga."

"Couldn't get past the first chapter before I fed it into the waste disposal." Raven said. The Doctor looked horrified.

"Raven, that was the last ever printing! I've been saving books to donate to a library at the end of the universe when I eventually retire." The Doctor said indignant. "I know they were... odd, but they deserved to be preserved, if not for their oddity." Raven disagreed, the books made her brain feel like it was turning to mush. If she was saving the peoples of the next universe from that fate then she felt good about destroying the books. But she decided not to voice her opinion, the Doctor would only argue. But she made a mental note to keep an eye out in case he got another copy, so she could burn it, and if he bought another one she would burn that too.

"Doctor, turn that brain of yours to our predicament, any ideas?" Raven asked, and the Doctors mood changed again.

"Haven't the foggiest. Isn't it exciting?" He jumped for joy like a boy. How did he find so much joy in the unknown? That was a trait that actually made Raven kind of like the Doctor, but only a little. The unknown didn't scare him, it excited him, it made him happy. He seemed to love being in the dark and having to feel his way around both metaphorically and literally. She guessed that's what made her start to trust the Doctor. She considered herself dark and unknown, everyone else she'd known feared the darkness and the unknown, but the Doctor just loved it.

"Come on. What are you waiting for? We're not going to get anywhere chin-wagging down here." And he went up the stairs. Raven ignored the Doctors flippant remark and followed him up the stairs by simply gliding up on the air.

The Doctor gingerly opened a door and he stepped out into a kitchen area. It was large, and decorated in polished wood. Silver appliances were littered everywhere and what appeared to be a half prepared meal was on the stove. There was also an oven with what looked like a chicken being cooked within.

"Hello?" The Doctor called.

"We're in someones house." Raven hissed at him. "Calling 'hello' is only going to get us thrown out!"

"Would you rather trust some people in your house who called out 'hello', or people in your house who stayed silent and crept up on you?" The Doctor asked as if this is a question she should take seriously.

"I wouldn't trust either, if they were in my home." Raven said, "I don't trust you most of the time, and you fly my home."

"Charming." The Doctor commented.

Suddenly a man walked into the kitchen. A man with long, black, slicked back hair that went to the back of his neck, with a large pair of mutton chops down his cheeks. He wore a white shirt with black waistcoat and around his waist was some kind of apron. He looked like a kind of Victorian gentleman, if it wasn't for the apron.

The man approached a cooking pot, raised the lid and began stirring the mixture. Then adjusted the heat on the stove.

"Hello." the Doctor asked.

"They're all in there!" The man said not looking at either of them. He sounded English and quite dismissive, and arrogant as if he had better things to do. _No change there then_ , Raven thought glancing at the Doctor.

"Excuse me, I'm the Doctor." The Doctor said holding his hand out to the man. The man turned. His face was elderly, maybe in his late fifties. "Doctor? Doctor Who?"

"In a turn of phrase." The Doctor said. "Who are you?"

"I am Master Tribus." the man said, turning back to his stew.

"A funny kind of master, one who cooks his own food?" The Doctor asked. "And food for several others by the look of it."

"If you want a job done right, you do it yourself!" Tribus said.

"Words to live by." The Doctor said. "Listen, could you tell us where exactly we are?"

Tribus looked at them as if he'd only just noticed them for the first time. "You're in our home." He said, mysteriously as if this should answer all questions.

The Doctor broke away and appeared to be inspecting the other pots, Tribus looking at him like he'd like nothing but to force this man from his kitchen. Then Tribus suddenly spotted Raven and looked at her up and down. She thought he was looking at her attire until she realised her cloak was closed.

"What?" She asked sharply. Tribus then turned to the Doctor and looked at him again.

"You're not one of us." He said suddenly.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Shall we leave?" The Doctor said, and motioned out the back door.

"Oh no, no. I can't send you out there now. Not into that storm!" Tribus said.

Wait, what storm? There wasn't a... but Raven looked out the french windows and indeed there was a snow storm blowing out there, and a rather nasty one.

"You're welcome to join us at dinner." Tribus said a little more brightly, but only a little, "I hope neither of you are vegetarians."

"Not for a couple of hundred years." The Doctor said, "Got bored of just vegetables after two days." Raven didn't say anything, she just examined this man, Tribus. His face was thin and pale and he spoke with a similar inflection to her own voice and she could swear he was mocking her.

"Then you are most welcome. It would be difficult to have Christmas dinner without Turkey." Tribus said.

"It's Christmas?" The Doctor asked excitedly.

"Yes, hard to believe. Winter comes around so fast, every single year." Tribus said. "And some wish it comes even faster." He said disapprovingly to the thought as he tasted the broth he was cooking and decided to add a dash of something to add flavour. "You'll find the others in there." He motioned over his shoulder to the door behind him. "Go introduce yourselves. I'm going to be rather busy in the kitchen."

The Doctor said his thanks and joined Raven as he ushered her out the door.

"Christmas! I love Christmas!" The Doctor beamed.

"The Christian Holiday?" Raven questioned.

"Don't tell me you've never celebrated Christmas?!" The Doctor said, incredulous. Raven just shrugged.

"Never been big on religion, and considering what 'I am' wouldn't it be insulting?" Raven asked.

"Oh no, no, no, no. Christmas is much more a commercial venture nowadays anyway than it is a religious one." Oh no, Raven rolled her eyes, lecture mode engaged. "It used to be a pagan festival to celebrate the passing of the year. But in the modern day it's come to celebrate friends, family. The season of good will and peace on earth."

"Not really my things." Raven said shrugging again. Except maybe some peace, she'd gladly take some peace, but she got the feeling she wasn't going to get any here. Why did she agree to be the Doctors bodyguard again?

"Come on, lets introduce ourselves." the Doctor said and led Raven into the main area, a type of living room.

Clat, clat clat! And both froze at the sight on the other side of the door.

Two people appeared to be fighting with some kind of specialised sword like sticks. Clat, clat, clat, they went as they danced around each other, the wooden swords impacting. The two figures appeared to be men, one who appeared to have much broader shoulders than the other. Both wore protective face gear, like a fencing mask. One had short, blond hair, he's the one with broad shoulders.; The other was slightly shorter had a balled head and his body was slightly shorter, but muscular.

The balled one jumped up onto the couch to get some height. But blond man knelt down, grabbed the chair from under and tipped it up. Balled man fell back and blond man was on top of him in an instant.

"You don't practice often enough anymore!" Blond man said, and the smaller man rose up and redoubled his efforts in a sequence of strikes that made it look like the blond man was on the ropes. But it was no competition, because with a few simple swipes the smaller man was kicked off his feet, and onto his back. The blond one stood over him, victorious. His wooden blade pointed at the mans heart. "You get far too stressed too easily, my friend."

The blond man stepped off him and offered to help him up. But the balled man did not look happy in his body language as he refused the hand and got up himself. He stamped across the room, throwing his sword and helmet into the corner. Fed up.

"Come back, Sechi!" He called after him happily as if he'd put him in his place. Clearly this was the resolution of some kind of argument between the two.

Blond man removed his mask, he had an oval face with a small goatee kind of beard. He looked down at a chair where another, a man sat reading, spread on the couch like a cat. "You know, if you both kept practising you'd be better than me at this."

"I'm a pacifist now." The other man said, "I've devoted my life to science."

"You could still devote your life to science, and still practice martial arts." the blond man said.

"I'll pass." the man said, turning a page. "I prefer a slower life now with my experiments."

"Yes, and what gruesome experiments they are, Franky." He laughed, and suddenly the blond man spotted the Doctor and Raven.

"Ah! The Doctor and Raven!" The man said excitedly. Both the Doctors and Ravens brows dropped at this.

"You knew we were coming?" The Doctor asked. Raven looked at him with suspicion.

"Why, of course!" The man seemed genuinely happy, he acted and sounded like a Shakespearean actor. He even bowed as if to an audience. "We're setting an extra place for both of you at the table to join us. "Come say hello to our guests, Franky." He said moving over to the Doctor and Raven, and he took both of their hands in his and shook them vigorously with both of his own hands. "I'm Dosrian."

"Dosrian?" Raven asked raising an eyebrow, it sounded made up.

"Is that a common name here?" The Doctor asked.

"As common as I'm sure 'Doctor' and 'Raven' are where you're from." Dosrian said. A look past between the Doctor and Raven which basically said 'no'.

"Franky, come here!" Dosrian said to the man who sat up from the couch having swung his legs down. He stood up, he was maybe twenty years old with a thin face, a mop of slightly wavy hair and a pair of round, rimmed spectacles across his nose. He was wearing a white shirt and waistcoat similar to Tribus back in the kitchens, but his waistcoat had a purple, checked pattern on it, and unlike Tribus he was wearing a tie with his shirt. Frank could be Tribus' son and he was clearly dressed for dinner. He looked at both of them with disinterest, but Raven got a sense the man was looking directly at her specifically. Like he was examining her. She checked to make sure her cloak was closed and she tried to make her own head disappear further under her hood. She felt safe while under her cloak.

"Nice to meet you." Frank said and he turned and left without saying another word. He clearly wasn't interested in either of them. In fact his body language betrayed an air of sadness about him.

"Now you know how people feel when they talk to you." The Doctor murmured in her ear.

"I can still turn your skin inside out, you know." Raven fired back at him.

"He's rather shy" Dosrian said, "You'll have to excuse the reunion. It's always difficult around Christmas time."

"Do you have any plumb pudding?" The Doctor asked excitedly, "I always love plumb pudding at Christmas!"

"I don't believe we've ever had any." the Doctors face fell at that. "But I'll ask Tribus to make some up."

"Doctor, a word." Raven said, pulling the Doctor away from this 'fascinating' conversation and out of ear shot of the guy. "Doctor, this place doesn't feel right."

"I know," the Doctor said, "No plumb pudding at Christmas? Preposterous!" Raven just groaned.

"No, I mean the place 'feels' wrong on so many levels." Raven said looking around, wary in case this was a trap. Dosrian had picked up the mask and wooden stick his opponent had discarded and walked out, leaving them.

A lot of stuff didn't make sense, like why the TARDIS said it was the 7th day, but Christmas was on December 25th. Who was calling for help in a place that apparently looked this peaceful?

"Curiouser and curiouser." The Doctor said, scratching at his chin.

"Hey Mr. Hey Miss!" Came a voice closer to the ground. It was as if it had just appeared from nowhere.

A spritely young character stood next to them. He must be at least ten years old, with very unkempt brown hair, loose fitting clothes, red shoes, and appeared to be bouncing on the balls of his feet like he was a ball of energy about to go off.

"I've not seen you here before!" He said brightly. "Are you members too?"

"Members?" Raven questioned.

"I like your cloak." Raven instantly grabbed the edge and held onto it tightly in case this terror somehow tried to take it from her. "I like your coat." He said to the Doctor.

"Well, you have good taste, my little friend."

"They call me Fiver." He said, his head bouncing up and down.

"Oh, that's interesting." The Doctor said, "Why?"

"Because I can't pay attention for five seconds, so they say. But I think that's rubbish, I'm paying attention right now." This kid was utterly hyper and moved like he'd had too many candies.

 _Don't offer him any Jelly Babies_ , Raven told the Doctor telepathically, _he might spontaneously combust._

"You're a very pretty lass." Raven was caught off guard, both by being called pretty, but about being called a 'lass' again.

"Say, thank you." The Doctor prompted.

"Thank you." Raven instantly said, but it came out so quickly it nearly squeaked.

"I like you." The boy said, "You're funny. Want to play?"

Raven shrank away from the boy. She found this little critter intimidating though he seemed harmless enough. Yet strangely he was also adorable, but not in a way that made her want to hang out with it... him.

"I promise I don't bite!" The boy said, "You look creepy! I like creepy things, creepy things are fun."

"May... maybe later." Raven said, preparing to push him away with her power if he so much as laid a finger on her.

The boy turned to the Doctor. "Want to play? We have a train set down stairs!" The Doctor declined, saying they'd just arrived.

The boy slowly stopped bouncing and his happy expression faded and became sad and haunted.

"You're... from outside!" He said in realisation. Before they could ask what he meant within the blink of an eye he was gone. Zoom! Leaving a whirl wind behind.

"Huh?" The Doctor said, "There goes a little Sonic the Hedgehog." He said. A what? Raven didn't understand, nor did she want to. She just looked to the Doctor.

"Doctor, what the hell is going on?" But the Doctor looked clueless, even he didn't know what the hell was going on.

* * *

Now left alone the two had looked around the house. It was depressingly large, with big panoramic windows that offered a view of nothing but the night and the storm outside. The view must be fantastic if the windows were built so wide, once the storm cleared.

The Doctor noticed some odd design choices if this building came upon cold weather an strong winds this often, like the lack of double glazing to keep heat in, yet the heat was being kept in rather well. There were others structural anomalies too but Raven just filed it all away under, 'the building is weird' rather than listen to it. It was all complicated and involved a great deal of maths. Raven wasn't even sure if the Doctor wasn't just making half of it up.

There was a large dining hall that looked like it could seat at least a dozen people and places were set for everyone. Including Raven and the Doctor apparently as pieces of paper with their names on it were stuck to their chairs. The room was dimly lit by the light from a burning fire place. Stockings were even hung over the mantelpiece. One for Fiver, one for Frank, one for Dosrian. There wasn't one for Tribus nor the balled one, Sechi.

"I wonder when dinner time is?" The Doctor asked, and Raven turned to look at a grandfather clock in the corner. But that couldn't be the right time! Could it? Raven approached the clock. Yes, she was seeing it, but the clock must be wrong. It said midnight.

"Doctor." Raven said, calling the Doctor to her side and pointing it out.

"Odd, like the clock in the TARDIS." The Doctor commented. Experimentally he opened the clocks hatch with his Sonic Screwdriver and looked at the mechanism. He said it was all working perfectly. Or at least it looked like it, until the Doctor pointed at the pendulum and said, "watch it very, very closely, and listen."

Tic-toc, tic-toc, tic-toc, tic-toc. Went the clock. But... the tics and tocs seemed to be closer together than the tocs and tics, which given the nature and physics of pengulums was not right, according to the Doctor at least. As she focused on it she noticed it, as the pendulum swung fine to the right, but when it swings back to the left, it didn't come to a total stop. Instead it practically jumped right back down into its arc again. Like how a badly edited film will suddenly jump where a few frames were missing.

"Weird clock." Raven commented

"It's not just the clock." The Doctor said, looking at his pocket watch. The minute hand of it too was frozen just before it struck midnight. "We're in some kind of Time Loop. Looping through the final moments of Christmas."

"Why?" Raven asked, then regretted it as the Doctor gave a flippant response, she's got to stop doing that.

"Well, who'd want Christmas day to ever end?" He'd said, Raven groaned at that a little as she thought.

"So someones trapped us in a Time Loop?" Raven asked, "The Time Lords? They did threaten to seal me in a Time Loop."

"That's a rather nasty possibility." The Doctor scratched his chin. "I hope it isn't, because if that's the case we'll never get out of it."

"There is always an 'out'!" Came a voice. Raven and the Doctor spun at the voice. Raven hadn't sensed this person coming.

It was an old man, really old. Liver spots, white hair, a white moustache. He looked frail and about to crumble to dust. He held onto his walking stick tightly as he walked, shaking. He also had that very clear musk of an old man smell that Raven found she hated.

"Who exactly are you two?" He asked. "You don't 'belong' here." He said mysteriously.

"I'm the Doctor, this is my friend Raven." The Doctor introduced them.

"Ah." The man said as if he understood. "You are welcome Doctor, as are you young lady. It has been so long since we've had visitors."

"How long?" The Doctor asked.

"So long..." The old man said.

"Yes, but 'how' long?" the Doctor prompted.

"So very long..." He sounded like he couldn't remember. "Oh, but where are my manners?!" The old man said, holding out his hand. "My name is Kaster."

"You mean like a wizard?" The Doctor said shaking the old mans hand. "You have a look of Dumbledore about you."

"Oh, he was an interesting fellow. You know he used to be an utter cheat at strip poker. It's the only way he could win, hands down, every time." He chuckled.

Raven and the Doctor looked at each other as they'd had the same thought. But the Doctor voiced it first.

"You do realise Albus Dumbledore is fictional?" The Doctor asked.

"Oh, was he?" The old man looked confused, "I'm sorry to hear that. He was such a lovely man."

Raven got the sense that Kaster didn't look like he was fully here. Like parts of him were missing. The curse of getting old. But his eyes burnt with a wonder, such a spirit for life, but hindered by his old body. He honestly didn't look long for this world.

"Dosrian, my son!" The man said walking past them. "Set two more places for our guests, Raven and the Doctor."

"I've already done it, Dad!" came Tribus's moody voice from the kitchens. So Tribus and Dosrian were his sons. But that was odd.

"I guess we're invited for dinner." The Doctor turned to Raven, "Your first, Christmas dinner."

"I can have a moment later, once we get out of here." Raven insisted. She didn't like this place, it just felt 'wrong' still.

"Why does Kaster call Tribus and Dosrian, his sons?" Raven asked, "They look nothing like Kaster, nor do they look like each other."

"Maybe they're adopted." The Doctor commented shrugging like it wasn't important, "They say anyone can be a father, it takes someone special to be a daddy."

Ravens intense face fell for a second before she caught it and set it back.

"What's wrong?" The Doctor asked, catching her.

"Nothing." Raven insisted, and thought. _Just a sad, stupid thought. One I'll instantly crush if I think it again._

To take her mind off it Raven cast her mind out further towards the people in the dining room and let her mind lap against theirs. But that couldn't be right either.

"Doctor!" Raven said realising "these people are 'empty,' all of them." The Doctor asked her to clarify, so she did. "Their minds. There's no 'spark' to them." Raven took a step back away from them, she was unaware she'd done it. "It's like what I felt from the minds of the Cybermen. They're all 'hollow'." Hollow was the only word she could used to describe their minds.

"Try my mind." The Doctor said.

"I know yours is hollow." Raven smiled a little. Her hood hiding her snigger from the Doctor.

"Leave the rebel teen attitude at the door for a second, please Raven." and sighing she reached out and felt the Doctors mind in that head of his.

"You're 'normal'" she confirmed, "By your standards."

"So it's nothing to do with this place." The Doctor concluded, "But those people."

"Christmas Dinner isn't going to involve eating 'us' does it?" Raven asked morbidly since they both had a 'spark' or a 'soul' the others lacked.

"Not unless the Turkey, and Turkish delight is made of actual Turkish people." The Doctor said flippantly. Raven didn't bother to groan, the joke was bad. But it made her feel a little better knowing the Doctor dismissed such a disturbing idea.

* * *

Raven walked through the hall back into the living room where Dosrian and Seschi had played their fencing game. She left the Doctor in the dining room to try to talk to the family of men.

That was something she didn't understand. If this was a family, why wasn't there any girls? Maybe that was why Frank looked at her like that. He wasn't expecting a girl. Somehow she doubted the reason was any form of misogyny since they were all too happy to welcome and accommodate her, as well as the Doctor. But for what reason there were no girls, she didn't understand.

As she stared out into the night she tried to make out what little there was around them.

She looked up and could faintly see what looked like a big wind turbine that was spinning in the gale, obviously supplying this house with power. She could just see the massive blades spinning as they dipped down and swung back up and vanished. There was also a barn and a small shed like structure. She reached out to all of them in case there was something weird. But no, they all felt mundane and normal. The shed had tools in it, and the barn was empty.

Over the howl of the wind Raven could now hear a noise from outside. A low, loud, penetrating noise like an engine, and it was coming closer and closer, and closer.

Through the snow storm headlights appeared. Two round ones that bounced around as the car tried to make its way through the snow. It was covered entirely in white and its windscreen wipers struggled to push the snow aside so its driver could see. He rubbed his hand on the windscreen to stop it steaming up.

The car parked up just outside, and the lights went out. The door on the right hand side opened and a figure stepped out, dressed in a big coat, a wide brimmed hat, a scarf was wrapped around his neck and tucked into the coat, and he wore thick gloves. He slammed the door of his car, and walked towards the house. He stopped, turned around, opened his car again and pulled out a case of some kind. Then closed the door and made his way towards the house.

He hammered on the door wanting to be let in. But no one came to the door. He tried the bell. No one came to the door.

Raven knew she shouldn't. She didn't know who this person was, nor if the rest of them knew who he was. But clearly he was in need of shelter and his car didn't look like it was very warm.

She decided to take on the responsibility. Surely if this person caused trouble she could just as easily eject him back out with her powers.

She opened the door, it was still on a chain so it didn't open fully.

"Ah, hello. Sorry I'm late." He said. "Come on, come on! I'm freezing my boots off out here!"

Tribus was suddenly by Ravens side and he ushered her away so he could look through the door.

"Oh, it's 'him.'" he said and he unbolted the door and opened it fully.

The man stumbled inside, carrying flakes of snow in with him. He put his case on the floor as Tribus shut the door.

"Blimey, it's cold outside!" He said as he turned to Tribus.

"Hello, Kasey." Tribus said coldly.

"Sorry, do I know you?!" The new comer asked.

"Uncle Kasey!" Came the voice of Fiver as he bounded down the stairs and leapt into the persons arms and hugged him around the neck, the figure was clearly fazed by this, but decided to hug the kid back.

"Okay, okay, you can stop now. You're choking me!" He said, playfully pretending to gag. He put Fiver down on the floor and took off his scarf and coat and hung them on the wall behind him where several other coats hung from.

It was another man. Quite short, maybe the same height as she was, Raven thought. He had short, cut hair that looked brown, though in certain lights it looked ginger. He had big staring eyes, his face also had deep laughter lines. He also had a style of beard Raven knew of as 'design stubble,' a very thin beard. He was dressed pretty much in rags and torn clothes as if he practically lived in the clothes he wore. He also kept his hat on, it looked like the kind of hat you'd maybe see in those Australian films, only without the corks around them.

The guy looked like a complete and total tramp.

"Sorry I'm late, the car got stuck half way up the trail." He grinned. Was he on something? He looked a little too happy. "Rear wheel drive, not good for snow. But Old Reliable got me here eventually."

"I guess we can't have everything." Tribus looked like he didn't much care for this 'Kasey' character, and neither did Raven. But he seemed harmless and friendly enough. But then, most truly nasty people hid themselves behind a pleasant mask.

Tribus turned and walked away saying, "I'll set an extra place." Clearly he didn't want this person to show up.

"Did you bring Jessica?!" Fiver asked, bouncing up and down again. Again, the man look surprised and looked at Fiver as if he was something he'd never encountered before.

"Sure... sure I have. I'll bring her out after dinner." He said, leaning over and patting Fiver on the head. "Go get ready for dinner." Then suddenly Fiver ran off again. He really was a big ball of energy. "What on Earth is going on?" Kasey said scratching his head.

He then turned to Raven, his mouth still lit up in a smile. "Hello there!" he cried. That smile unnerved her. It didn't look natural and she suspected it was not real either.

"Take one more step closer towards me and you'll be wearing that hat around your neck!" She threatened. His smile faltered but his positive 'energy' just remained. Weird, he looked like a tramp, but he didn't smell like one. A little stink of oil and fuel may be, but he actually looked clean and well groomed.

"Charming." The man said, like all of them he sounded English, was there no one in the universe who sounded like her? "I'm Kasey, with a K. Nice to meet you."

"I am Raven" She just said. "You know 'them'?" she asked nodding at Tribus and Fiver.

"Never met them before in my life." He looked around the place. "You live here?"

"No." Raven said simply, watching this character who was acting more like he'd stepped out from a cartoon.

"This night is crazy." He commented and walked into the dining area.

"Crazy is the right word." Raven mouthed.

Trying to get a better sense of this person Raven realised that Kasey felt like he had plenty of toxins running through his body. Probably alcohol or something like that. But feeling his aura made Raven realise something. The Doctor, her and now Kasey had something in common.

Not only did they all have no idea what was going on, but they were the only people at this party who actually felt like they were 'real'. They actually had a 'spark', a 'soul'.

"What the hell is going on?" Raven asked of the air.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes: [Edits 16/12/18]** Switched a word around because I found out I didn't actually know what Haunches were and it made the sentence sound awkward. XD

I didn't realise until after I'd written this chapter that I've started effectively with a Halloween-ish story, and now Christmas themed story.

I've put a lot of thought into this mystery, so I hope it doesn't disappoint.

I think I've unintentionally taken some small inspiration from the 8th Doctor Audio, 'The Chimes of Midnight'. But only a little inspiration in terms of a couple of elements, I swear. ;)

Cheers

-TimeLordParadox


	30. Chapter 29, The Shadow Man

**Chapter 29**

 **The Shadow Man**

All sat at dinner now, the weird people just seemed to be talking animatedly with each other. Kaster, Dosrian, Tribus sat on one side of the table. Frank, Fiver, Sechi in the middle and Kasey, Raven and the Doctor on the opposite end. The Doctor sitting at the tables end so he was next to Raven and Kasey.

Raven didn't like where she was sitting. It was next to the kid Fiver and it was making her uncomfortable. Across from her was the bespectacled person Frank, she hated him. Something about him was like looking into a mirror for her, but he seemed to have some control over Fiver as he instantly behaved when Frank told him to. Sechi seemed to find Fiver just as irritating, and he seemed to absolutely loath Kasey, to the point where he pulled his chair closer to Frank to keep his distance.

They had been given strange meals Raven had never seen before. Turkey, gravy and assorted vegetables. Raven tasted them and found they weren't to her liking. She wasn't very hungry, but Fiver seemed to be eating up everything and wanted seconds, so while Tribus was looking the other way she swapped her plate with Fivers empty one.

"Knock yourself out." She'd told the little boy who beamed a 'thanks' at her with his eyes and tucked in. He liked the cooking at least.

"So you've never been here before?" The Doctor asked Kasey.

"Never in my life." Kasey said looking around, "But it does look familiar somehow."

"And you don't know these people?" The Doctor asked.

"Never seen them before in my whole life." Kasey said, a little too brightly to be real. "I was driving over the Penines. When suddenly I found myself halfway up this mountain trail. All I knew was that I had to get to this building."

"Why?" Raven asked.

"I had nowhere else to be." Kasey replied.

"I say," The Doctor said, grabbing the Sechi's attention, "How do you know Kasey? You clearly know him."

Sechi just stared darkly at the Doctor. Instead of speaking he pushed away from the table and retreated out of the dining area, clearly sick of having peas thrown at him by Fiver.

"You're not members." Frank said to explain. "He doesn't speak well to people outside of our circle. He's rather a tragic individual, or he likes to see himself as one."

 _If the Doctor gives me a look, I will kill him._ Raven decided. But the Doctor was too interested in the conversation to tease her.

"So, who started this whole thing? What's it for?" The Doctor asked.

"Kaster started it all. It's just a gathering for 'the End' and 'the rebirth'." Frank said mysteriously.

"You mean Christmas? You celebrate it the way the Pagans used to?" The Doctor asked.

"In a manner of speaking." Frank said, but didn't elaborate.

Frank then began talking to Tribus so the Doctor broke away and talked to Raven and Kasey again.

"Frankly from talking to each of them, they all seem a little confused, as if they're not all there. Like two dimensional characters from a TV show." He suddenly held up his hand. "Maybe we're in the Land of Fiction." He suddenly said.

"Land of what?" Raven asked in disbelief.

"The Land of Fiction. A dimension connected to the imagination of any mind capable of creating, specifically the human mind. All fictional creations are stored there. Rapunzel, Jack and the Beanstalk, Gulliver's Travels, even myths like the Minotaur and gods like Zeus." He then added as an after thought. "Listen, if you ever find a type writer, do not type a sentence involving your own name, or you'll become part of the fiction."

"So... how do we test if we're in this land of fiction?" Raven asked quizzically, her eye brow raising and her mouth moved to one side of her face. She wasn't buying this 'Land of Fiction' thingy the Doctor had clearly made up.

"We can't." The Doctor said. "It is possible we're just on Earth and invited to a very odd party."

"If we're in this Land of Fiction, how do we even know if we are real?" Kasey said, "Everything we're experiencing could be a fiction!"

"That would explain so much." Raven said deadpan glancing at the Doctor. Could it be her entire adventures with the Doctor were just some fiction? That she herself was some fiction?

"You're taking this on board very easily." The Doctor asked Kasey, who just shrugged.

"This morning, I was travelling across the British Pennines in Old Reliable. Next thing I know I'm suddenly heading to a place I've never heard of before."

"Did your cars control panels give you strange readings?" The Doctor asked.

"Well, I needed petrol one minute, then I had a full tank, and its remained full as I drove up here. Gauge must be bust." He said.

"Old Reliable sounds like the TARDIS." Raven commented.

"Do you have a watch?" The Doctor asked Kasey.

"Yeah, but it's broken." Kasey said.

"How do you mean, broken?" The Doctor asked.

"Well, it's stuck on midnight. Battery must be dead."

These questions were getting them nowhere.

Suddenly they were presented with 'plumb pudding' that the Doctor wanted so much. But when it came to Raven, Tribus just passed her by.

"You didn't eat your Christmas dinner, so no treat for you." He'd said and moved on. Raven shot him a dark look as he went back into the kitchen. When she was facing forwards again she suddenly had a serving of the pudding. Looking around she saw Fiver looking away innocently, and no plumb pudding on his plate. He'd swapped her empty plate for his full one. That was surprisingly kind of him, she never expected it from a kid.

"I'm not in the mood for a sweet." The boy said looking away as if he saw nothing. Raven raised an eyebrow at this odd little boy. Surely kids of his age should be wolfing down candies and sweets. Gently she passed it back over to him saying. "I'm not hungry."

Raven then suddenly counted the people at the table. There were nine people present. The TARDIS console had mentioned 'the End' and this party was supposed to celebrate the ending of something. The end of the year? But then what was the significance of the number seven and time which refused to tick over to midnight?

What happened at midnight? The seventh day became the eighth, obviously. Ravens eyes suddenly focused. There had been six people here to start with. Then the Doctor showed up. Maybe seven was just a way of saying he was the seventh person to arrive. Followed by the eighth, Raven herself. Maybe the TARDIS had ticked over to the eighth as they'd left the TARDIS, and now with Kasey it counted as nine.

She voiced these thoughts to the Doctor.

"Its a possibility." The Doctor said. "Might be worth checking on the console at some point to see if that's true."

"What console?" Kasey asked.

"Would you believe if I told you we were travellers like you. But in Time and Space?" The Doctor asked.

"If I did, I think I'd need to check my medication." Kasey said, obviously disbelieving them.

"Well, our ship, the TARDIS, was dragged down here." The Doctor explained the odd messages on the console and that there was something significant to the number seven.

"There are seven days in a week. A heptagon has seven sides." Kasey suggested, unhelpfully but it did raise a point that the numbers on the console might not have anything to do with the number of people here.

Suddenly something was dumped in front of them. A strangely shaped cardboard tube in festive patterns.

"Christmas Crackers!" The Doctor announced, "I love Christmas Crackers." Raven didn't know what these were for.

The Doctor held up his and offered the other side to Raven. She looked up and down the table and saw what the others were doing with them. Gingerly she took one end, a rather bored look on her face. This was pathetic.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when it went SNAP! As the Doctor pulled on it.

Raven had received the package end of it and she could feel there was something inside. The Doctor shook it out for her and there was a collection of cards that were a simple numbers game, the Doctor was delighted with it, she was bored with it as he explained how it worked. There was also a pink paper crown inside which folded out and the Doctor had tried to put it on her head. Without turning her eyes to look at him she'd said. "DON'T, YOU, DARE!" and shrugging he put it on his own head. He looked ridicules. They all did as they all put paper crowns on their heads. Kasey just put his around the rim of his hat.

There was also a scrap of paper inside the cracker which the Doctor read out. "Why did Santa go to the doctor? Because of his bad 'elf'." Raven just groaned, it was a joke and it was the worst one she'd ever heard.

"What do you call a cat in the desert? Sandy Claws!" Kasey said, reading off his joke. As the crackers snapped up and down the table the Doctor and Kasey gathered all the jokes up and began reading them out. But with each one Raven felt like her brain was being assaulted. "What do you get if you cross Santa with a duck? A Christmas Quacker!"

"Okay, stop." Raven said. That was the fifth one and she was getting annoyed. But the Doctor and Kasey kept going despite her displeasure.

"There's got to be a good one in here somewhere." Kasey muttered reading out another.

"Who is Santa's favourite singer? Elf-is Presley!" The Doctor laughed. "That one is quite good." It wasn't...

"One more..." Raven warned. "Just... one more!"

"What do you call a frozen elf hanging from the ceiling?" The Doctor asked. "An elfcicle!" Okay, she'd had enough!

"Kasey, Doctor, what starts with 'come here,' and ends with 'ow'?"

"Don't know." They both admitted.

"Come here!" and she reached out for them when they came closer. The Doctor and Kasey got out of their seats and quickly retreated laughing at her. Oh god, now she has two of them!

The others were also all retreating back into the living room, giving her some peace. Thank goodness.

"What does Santa suffer from if he gets stuck in a chimney?" _OH MY GOD!_ This one came from little Fiver.

"I DON'T CARE!" Raven said through gritted teeth.

"Claustrophobia!" he said. Raven paused, and just sighed.

"Okay, that one wasn't as bad. I'll let you walk away alive, if you go, now."

"Ha, you're funny," and giggling little Fiver ran away.

"I know I am," Raven said flatly, "I can hardly contain myself." She decided she hated Christmas.

* * *

With little else to do Raven followed them into the living room. Dosrian and Fiver then began dressing a big tree in tinsel and a string of multi-coloured lights.

"Would you like to help decorate the tree?" Tribus said, holding out a box of spheres of varying sizes.

"What the hell are they?" Raven asked looking at them as if they could jump out and attack her.

"Balls." Tribus announced.

"Why are they all different sizes?" Raven asked.

Tribus shrugged. "That's just life, miss." He smirked and walked off leaving Raven confused. Was that a joke? She didn't get it.

She crossed her arms over her chest and watched them decorate the Christmas tree, even the Doctor was getting in on it. "This is all just pointless." She commented.

"You're just saying that because you're lonely and deep down you want to join in." Said Frank from behind her.

"You know nothing." Raven said, not turning to acknowledge him.

"It's psychology." Frank said, "You want company, you want to join in, so you say utter rubbish so someone will talk to you."

"'That' is rubbish." God, it was like having her own mind in the room with her.

"That jewel in your head tells me you're a psychic of some sort. The build and your pale skin tells me you're malnourished and lacking in vitamin D. You behave like the tough girl because of a very rough childhood, yet underneath you're soft, but you feel you can't afford that luxury. You're the type to push people away and then hate them for leaving."

Raven still refused to look at him. For the most part he was right, and that just irritated her. Had her fears come true? Had she found someone who could read her mind and see her deepest, darkest thoughts?

"You hide under your cloak because its like a surrogate shield for you that protects you from the 'outside' and it makes you feel secure." Frank said.

Raven gritted her teeth and looked up to take a deep breath. There was a mistletoe above them.

Raven looked at Frank in horror, he was standing next to her, and instantly she took a step away from him.

"What?" Frank asked, not sure what had happened. He looked up, spotted the plant and took a step away too.

 _Wait, what's wrong with me?_ Not this again! _Shut up, I don't like him._ She sighed. _But why doesn't he like us?!_ Raven groaned. _I don't care!_

Why did she get the feeling Frank was reading her again?

"Don't bother." He said, "My relationships never work out anyway. I always end up disappointing and hurting people." and he walked off sadly.

Okay, was he a projection of her own mind? It would explain a lot. Why he was hollow, why he seemed to be able to read her like a book, why his eyes looked so familiar to her. Maybe they were all a mixture of traits borrowed from her, the Doctor and Kasey, and that's why they all knew the three, but the three didn't know who they were.

"Fiver!" She heard Frank call. "Come on, lets watch Wallace and Grommet." And Fiver ran up and dived into his arms. Frank picking him up like a little brother.

She scrapped the idea of Frank being a projection, no part of her likes kids.

"You are troubled my dear?" Said the elderly voice of Kaster behind her.

"I'm fine, it's nothing." She said vaguely.

"Ah, there is no such thing as 'nothing'." The old man said as he sat on the stairs near her. "Why not join in the festivities?"

"Because I don't want to." She insisted. "Why don't you?"

"Oh... because it's past me by." He smiled, there was a twinkle to his eye despite his great age. "I wish I could join in, but my age won't allow it." He sighed. "You should enjoy your youth, before its gone."

She held her arms tightly over her chest and didn't speak. She just wanted to watch. Not get involved with it. She would just spoil it somehow. There was such a positive energy flowing in that room and she just wanted it to wash over her, she didn't want to swim in it.

"While you sit there wishing, time passes you by." Kaster said, "And time waits for no man, nor indeed, any woman."

"I... don't belong. I'm not part of your family." She said.

"Your Doctor friend doesn't seem to mind." Kaster nodded at the Doctor as Fiver began tying him up in tinsel.

"He's not my friend, he is..." She hesitated, what can she call the Doctor? 'Irritating' not withstanding. "He could find family in a group of frogs."

"And yet, he seems a rather lonely man, in the same way you are a rather lonely girl." Raven didn't bother answering, she just wished this man would go away. "You look at him longingly. Did you know your father?"

"My father is a touchy subject." Raven said shooting daggers at him with her eyes. Kaster looked at her as if he suddenly understood. "What?!" She shot at him.

He chuckled. "Our souls tend to be like Swiss cheese, full of holes, and we spend our lives trying to fill those holes in with other people, or die with holes in our souls." He sighed deeply. "And I'm going to die with, oh so many holes left in my soul, and it's too late to fill them now."

Raven actually turned to look at the man. He looked more frail than ever, and more vulnerable. For some reason she couldn't help but think of her tutor Azar. A very wise man with so many secrets about him, but this man was a lot more frail. He was nearing the end and he seemed to hold so many regrets. Words left unspoken, actions left not acted upon.

He got up. "Now, if you'll excuse me, it's past my bed time, it looks set to be a cold night tonight." He came up to her and gently rested a hand on her shoulder. She didn't shrug it off, but she chose to look away from him.

"Keep warm." He said sadly and he began walking up the stairs and the darkness above swallowed him.

* * *

The tree was up and Fiver, Frank and Dosrian had watched a TV show about stop motion Plasticine puppets. It was quite impressive to watch, but some part of Raven wondered how much time was wasted to achieve that effect.

Now they had all gathered around the tree as Kasey brought out 'Jessica' who Fiver had mentioned. Jessica turned out to be an acoustic, wooden guitar. He began strumming it. He could actually play the instrument quite well, but Raven didn't care much for his songs. They were very folky and she didn't like folk music. Raven didn't know what music she did like but she thought this music was... not awful, but it was just noise to her.

They were mostly Christmas songs, trying to spread good will and happiness, all of which Raven didn't 'do' at all. Raven had never actually seen a guitar being played, and she was partially hypnotised by the way Kasey's fingers danced up and down the neck to make the thing produce a new note.

He did eventually play a song called. "Always look on the bright side of life." And Raven actually found herself swaying a little to the tune under her cloak. She caught herself though when the Doctor stared at her, and she again became as stiff as a board.

 _Aren't we supposed to be investigating why the TARDIS brought us here?!_ Raven asked the Doctor telepathically.

 _I am. I'm mingling. I've found plenty out. Oh, one second, I'm up!_ Oh no! Who gave the Doctor a recorder? Suddenly he was playing a jig with Kasey providing backing. Fiver and Dosrian danced to it in some kind of folk dance. Even Tribus and Frank, two of the most reserved of the bunch were stamping their feet to the tune. Clearly whatever icy feelings they had towards Kasey were starting to melt.

The Doctor wasn't taking this seriously at all. He was just getting caught up in the mood of everything.

Fiver looked at her and beckoned her to join in. But she just stared at them all flatly, she turned and walked away. She wanted to find a quiet place to meditate and think on this puzzle. She thought about returning to the TARDIS, but decided to go upstairs instead to poke around for more clues.

As she ascended the happy music just faded out and faded out, until it was just a throb on the edge of hearing.

Upstairs she found several doors. Casting her mind into them she found that they were clearly these peoples bed rooms. She could sense the clutter within them.

Raven lifted herself up off the floor and hovered in the air so no one could hear her moving. Doing this she pressed her ear against each door and listened for signs of movement before going in. Each bedroom was decorated to different tastes. She guessed the scientific looking one belonged to Frank and the one decorated with musical instruments and pictures of exotic places belonged to Kasey.

Wait a minute. Kasey didn't bring anything with him. Which must mean this room was prepared ahead of time! It was eerily like how the TARDIS produced her own room from her own personal tastes.

She wondered briefly if this house was some kind of TARDIS or TARDIS like thing. But that theory was squashed when she realised there was no room prepared for her or the Doctor, clearly because they hadn't been expected. But it was weird why Kasey had his own room.

Could his attitude and ignorance be an act?

In an empty room, which contained nothing but a bed and a table, she walked over to a window and peered out into the storm. This was the back of the house, near the french windows of the kitchen. She could see trees out there and a great mass of snow on the ground.

Weird how the season of goodwill and peace on earth happens during the most inhospitable months of the year, when the season and the weather turned and tried to kill things.

Through the blustering wind and the flakes of snow Raven thought she could see movement. It was between the trees and it lumbered along like it didn't exactly know how to walk, or maybe it was injured.

Raven thought maybe it's another visitor, until she saw depressions in the snow that the storm had only partially filled in. Foot prints, walking around, clearly stopping at windows and then away from the house.

Someone was outside, and that someone was watching them. She stared out of the window and tried to give an intense stare to anything watching, as if to say. "I know you're out there, I can see you."

In reality she couldn't see anything, nor sense anything.

Maybe it was just her imagination. She had read that in snow sometimes melting and thawing made the footprint of a smaller animal look larger. But there clearly hadn't been time for the snow to melt and widen the shape.

Raven wanted to meditate but she wasn't sure she could now, knowing what she knew. They were all under observation by something.

Crash! Came a loud noise, and Raven decided to investigate. She left her room and could hear a soft moan of someone in distress. It sounded like the old man Kaster. Now there was the sound of a dead weight falling to the floor with a thud.

Raven floated up to the door she heard the thud coming from and she knocked on the door.

"Hello..." she asked a little too quietly. There was no answer. She knocked harder, "Hello?" She asked again much more firmly.

She didn't want to disturb the old man if he was sleeping. So she gently took the handle and slowly pushed the door open. The lights were still on.

Raven pushed the door open more firmly when she saw sprawled on the floor was the form of Kaster. He had collapsed and wasn't moving.

Quickly Raven went to the mans side and rolled him onto his back. He wasn't breathing. She placed her hands over the mans wrists and felt for a pulse, there wasn't one. He was dying!

Raven got up and was about to shout for help when a sight at the window made her freeze.

Two white eyes were peering in at her from the blackness. They were a vivid green and they stared in either hungrily or in desperation. Suddenly its hand smacked on the glass. The hand was blackened and burnt and had loose, dirty bandages over his palms.

Gently it pounded its palm into the window, trying to get in. It also seemed to be producing some kind of vocalisation, as if it was trying to speak while breathing in rather than breathing out. Then it was like it suddenly melted away, back into the snow.

She stared a good few seconds until she was convinced whatever it is was gone, before attending to Kaster.

Maybe she could heal his body and bring him back. But no, his life force, or whatever he had, had already left him.

Kaster was dead.

* * *

"Old age, I think" was the Doctors summery, "It was just his time. There is no evidence of trauma that can't be explained by the fall, no wounds. As far as I can tell there is no internal bleeding. I can't give a prognosis unless I have access to specialised equipment. As is, I think we should leave it to the medical professionals from here."

"The emergency services won't be able to cut through this storm until morning. This is a terrible day to pass. Christmas day of all." Tribus said running his hands through his long hair.

"Death comes for all of us, eventually." Raven commented.

"Some more often than others." The Doctor said.

"We can't tell Fiver or Frank, they'd be devastated." Tribus said. "We'll break it to them in the morning. Until then, I hope we can keep a lid on this?"

"You have my word," the Doctor said, and he looked at Raven. "And you have Ravens too. Right, Raven?"

Raven stared blankly at him. "Fine." she said. _As if I was actually going to go up to a kid and tell him his grandparent is dead. I might be cold, but I'm not that insensitive._

The Doctor and Tribus picked up the old man and rested him in his bed and covered him over. After that they left the room and Tribus locked it with a key to stop anyone going in.

"I must tell Dosrian." Tribus said, "Excuse me." and he walked away back down the stairs.

"He doesn't seem all that upset that his father is dead." Raven commented.

"Noticed that, did you?" The Doctor asked. "Curiouser and curiouser."

"Doctor, I didn't mention." Raven said, "I think there's something outside."

"There's bound to be something outside." The Doctor added darkly, "You can't expect the universe and its contents to remain within the confines of a small structure like this one."

Raven didn't laugh nor react to the obvious flippancy.

"There is 'someone' outside." Raven said, more specifically. "A shadow man of some kind."

"You mean a literal Shadow Man, or are you being descriptive?"

"As in, it was like his body was a black hole. And it was like the snow didn't collect on him. He stayed totally dark."

The Doctor looked around, as if he could sense the creature. "If its out there, and its human, it can't last for long."

"And the chances of it 'not' being human?" Raven asked.

"In our line of work, a little too high." The Doctor commented.

"How does this fit into the mystery?" Raven asked, now adding 'Shadow man' to their case study.

* * *

When they returned to the festivities Fiver and Frank still looked the same as ever clearly ignorant of the dead grandparent. But Dosrian looked a little sombre. Still Kasey kept playing, to the delight of Fiver.

"Could Kaster have been the one calling for help?" Raven asked as they sat in a corner to discuss things. Though she was certain the Doctor was glancing longingly at the festivities, wanting to join in but was all too aware now that something unsettling was going on around this festive party.

"Possible. The clue was rather cryptic and its just bad luck that we missed him." He sighed. "Why do people have to be so cryptic with their calls for help?" He asked no one in particular.

"Then can we please go back to the TARDIS and get out of here?" Raven asked. "I've had all I can stand of Christmas."

"You're a little Grinch, aren't you?" The Doctor said, clearly thinking about something else while his mouth rattled.

"Bah, humbug." Raven went.

"No, that's Ebenezer Scrooge." The Doctor sighed again. "There are still too many questions left unanswered. It's possible Kaster isn't who sent the message."

"Don't tell me you're about to go into 'ominous Time Lord mode'." Raven commented with a bored look which said 'I can read you like a book'.

"A say-what Lord?" Kasey asked, Raven hadn't noticed he'd stopped playing his guitar, thank goodness. He was holding three glasses of some kind of bubbling liquid, two of which he handed to Raven and the Doctor.

"Nothing," Raven dismissed, smelling the small glass of liquid. The Doctor downed his in one gulp.

"We're still no nearer answering our questions." The Doctor said and gently plucked the glass from Ravens fingers just as she was about to drink from it. "And you're too young, Rae-Rae."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know." Kasey said drinking his own. Probably for the best she didn't drink alcohol. Controlling her powers was difficult enough already.

The Doctor moved past Raven and gently said into her ear. "Keep an eye on Kasey, I have a feeling he's the key to all of this." and moved on.

Raven looked at Kasey as he gazed out the window at the snow storm. Why did she have to keep an eye on this weirdo? He's not up to anything. His aura was strange, sure. For a man so happy and jovial he seemed like he was deeply wounded somehow.

Raven looked out the window with Kasey, but Raven wasn't looking outside at the storm. She was using the glasses reflection to get a look at Kasey without him realising she was looking. That's when she noticed something. Because he was holding a drink glass Raven could see under his jacket sleeves. It looked like his arms were bandaged up with a dirty rag of some kind. Was he injured? His aura didn't give that impression.

Bandages? Like the creature outside. No, that can't be right. Kasey was down here playing his stupid guitar when she saw the creature.

She could dive into his mind. But she resisted the urge to do so. The Doctor would not approve. Wait, what was she thinking? Screw the Doctor and what he thought. But still, she found herself refusing to do it, at least not fully.

She gently played at the edges of his mind and hoped to read its surface thoughts. But... this was so weird. Why couldn't she connect? It's like she was coming up against a total barrier of a blank nothing. There was clearly something going on in that head of his, but the moment she got too close it was as if it vanished, like it was hiding from her.

"A beauty isn't she?" Kasey said, "Old Reliable." He was talking about his stupid car, which was now buried in the snow. "You know I found her in a barn after I woke up. The farmer, a Mr. Stevens, said I could have her if I worked around the place. I fixed her, and got her up and running again."

"What do you mean, 'woke up'?" Raven asked, her ears prickling at that word.

"Oh, I was found washed up on a beach many years ago." Kasey said, "I was in a coma for ten years. I woke up in hospital, no idea where I was, not a penny to my name. I kind of agreed to work on a farm for a lovely farming family until I could get back on my feet. It was them who gave me the car when I finally decided to move on. I worked my way around the planet trying to get home."

Something in that didn't make sense. Presumably he came from the 20th or 21st centuries, so why didn't he save up enough money and fly home? Why is he trying to drive there? Maybe they're in the early part of the 20th century, when flight wasn't so common.

"You do know Kasey is spelt with a 'C'? Right?" Raven corrected.

"Is it?" Kasey said back as if he didn't know. "Anyway, after I woke up I had nothing to do so I fixed Old Reliable, picked up a guitar and I've been driving all over the place, from country to country just playing at certain events to keep food in my belly and fuel in the tank. I'm pretty content with my life." He took a deep breath and seemed to want to move on. "So what's with that jewel in your head? Is it supposed to represent a chakra?" he asked. This took her off guard.

"How do you know about Chakra's?" she asked him, surprised he'd even know what one was.

"I read a lot too." Kasey said, "There's no DVD nor Game Station in my car, I need to find something to entertain me. I've also got books on tape for those long, lonely drives."

"Fascinating." She said with a bored tone and decided to move away. Clearly Kasey had ran out of anything of value to say to the investigation. The Doctor told her to keep an eye on him, not bond with him. Thank goodness.

She looked at Tribus and Dosrian, they were in an animated conversation apparently around something sciencey Raven didn't understand. Where they actually scientists?

Meanwhile Fiver and Frank seemed to be playing with each other like two brothers would. Were they actually brothers?

Sechi, the balled one was actually missing, and so was the Doctor? Finally, was he doing something useful?

Raven sat, and found a book on the chair, it was the one Frank was reading earlier. It had no title, and no cover. She opened it and began to read. Or she tried. The words wouldn't translate for her. They were written in the English alphabet, but the words were a jumble she couldn't understand, as if the TARDIS wouldn't translate it. Weird.

Suddenly she was aware of someone standing over her, looking down at her face from over her head. When she removed the book she found it was the boy Fiver.

"Why do you have a jewel over your Chakra?" He asked. Raven wanted to say "Because I can do this." and shove him away with her power, but she didn't, and went back to the book and pretended to read it.

"Hey Fiver!" Said Dosrian, "me and uncle Kasey are going to play trains down stairs. Want to come?"

"Yes!" the kid said quickly before turning back to Raven. "Want to come play?"

 _I'd rather stand out in the blizzard naked._ Raven wanted to say. But since she had to keep an eye on Kasey for the Doctor she just sighed and said. "Fine."

She followed them down to the basement and watched them fire up the train set. They tried to get Raven to join in, but she just looked bored and told them to just play by themselves, despite there being trains and controls for six people to play, Raven just wasn't interested.

They each picked their own 'engines'. Fiver picking the small tank engine, Dosrian the large steam engine, and Kasey picked the diesel locomotive, and now each was whirling around the track, each person pretending they were actual train conductors.

Kasey seemed to take to this immediately like he'd done it before and was thoroughly enjoying it. Watching it, Raven admitted she so wanted to join in. There were three other electric trains, but she felt like she'd feel embarrassed, especially if the Doctor walked in and found her playing trains. She was supposed to be an adult monster after all. These things aren't supposed to appeal to her. She was supposed to be a grown up. These things were childish.

"Look out, snow on the track!" Fiver said as he leapt onto a crate and opened one of the small windows above. Wind and snow poured in and began mounting on the train tracks. Dosrian grabbed Fiver and pulled him down before shutting the window himself.

"Don't do that!" Dosrian said sternly, "you'll damage something."

Suddenly Raven felt something very cold and very dark approaching. She looked around. It felt like it was coming from everywhere and yet nowhere. She looked at the TARDIS, that was still sitting fine in one corner of the room, totally undisturbed. It wasn't causing what she could sense.

Then she heard something that made her feel very cold. It was a rasping breath of some kind, a rasping intake of breath and a mumbling as if it was trying to speak while breathing in; and it was coming from behind her.

She then became aware of the three people in front of her by the train set, who were now looking past her at something that clearly spooked them.

Slowly she turned. There was a corpse standing behind her. A ragged, husky looking corpse wrapped in black bandages that hung loosely from its arms, torso and head, like a zombie or a mummy. Its mouth fell open and it produced that rasping noise, and it shuffled forwards.

Raven quickly cast a black wall in front of this creature, but it just stepped through it like it wasn't there! Why does she keep stumbling into people who are immune to her powers?

Its mouth fell open, and it reached out to grab them!

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** Okay, I've explored enough of Christmas, and made Raven's head throb enough now. The stage is set, now for things to start moving. :P

This was actually awkward to write. It's kind of difficult to balance the Christmas themes, and the mystery and the same time. Hopefully, I've managed it.

It helps that I'm writing this around Christmas time, so I've got the festive mood fresh in my mind, and I can imagine how Raven would react to all of it. Especially the terrible Christmas Cracker jokes. Fun fact, the reason they're terrible is so there will be no arguments or friction at Christmas.

I've tried to paint each of the people like one of those kinds of people you meet at Christmas. Tribus being the busy one always trying to keep plates spinning, Dosrian the big brother, always wanting to play and helps out the busy one. Kaster the kindly Grandparent full of so much wisdom. Fiver, the excited kid. Frank the brooding recluse. Sechi the one who start all the arguments and usually spends Christmas interacting with the family as little as possible. Kasey being the one who always brings a hint of Christmas cheer.

The mistletoe moment Raven and Frank had is something I actually witnessed at a Christmas party, it looked so awkward and weird I had to put it in. XD

I'm trying to write Ravens thoughts as organically as possible, like how one might make connections in their head by mulling over certain details again, and again and again. Until something eventually clicks.

Cheers

-TimeLordParadox


	31. Chapter 30, the Dark Mummies

**Chapter 30**

 **The Dark Mummies**

"What the bloody hell is that?" Dosrian said as they all retreated from the advancing mummy. Fiver hid behind Kasey and Raven as they all shuffled backwards towards the train set.

"Hey mate, it's a little late for Halloween." Kasey said, "Neat costume though. Can you breathe in that thing?"

It reached out and the four scattered, the mummy lumbering as it regained its footing. It looked directly at Dosrian and began advancing towards him. Dosrian retreated around the other end of the train set and tried to keep the whole set between him and the mummy.

While he was distracting it Raven tried to think of what she could do. She activated her powers and tried to grab the mummy. But as her mind reached out it was as if she was trying to grab onto something insubstantial, or something incredibly slippery that her powers couldn't grab on to.

Okay, if she couldn't grab the mummy, maybe she could slam something into it.

Raven focused on a crate but... what the hell? She's having the same issue again. She couldn't lift up the crate. It was as if it wasn't even there.

She focused on other things around the room. Other boxes, furniture, even collections of dust, but she couldn't pick any of them up!

The mummy had grown tired of chasing Dosrian around the train set and had instead climbed up onto it to get at him.

Suddenly she found something she could grab onto. It was the TARDIS. She looked at it and gave the machine a look. "Sorry about this." She told it and she forced the TARDIS forward and slammed it into the mummy, knocking it into the far wall, and the mummy exploded in a mass of black ash.

Raven removed the TARDIS and placed it back down. The mummy had vanished. But no! Suddenly it had reformed and its piercing, brown eyes focused on Dosrian again. Didn't the thing have green eyes before?

Dosrian again retreated to the other side of the train set and now had his back to them. The mummy stopped on the opposite side and pointed. There was a fizzing noise and BANG! There was a big explosion as part of the train set suddenly blasted itself to pieces, the force pushing them all to the floor.

Dosrian screamed as he was caught in the blast. He was now curled up on the floor clutching at his stomach.

Picking themselves up, Raven and Kasey grabbed Dosrian, linking his arms under their necks and they dragged him up the stairs following Fiver. The mummy clawed at the air for them, all the while making that ghostly moaning noise.

They burst through the door into the kitchen and slammed it shut behind them. Raven closing a latch to hopefully lock it in.

"Why did the train set blow up?" Kasey asked as they gathered themselves.

"Dosrian…" Fiver asked behind them "… Dosrian, are you okay?"

"Go get Tribus!" Dosrian said, "Go get Tribus, and I want you to stay with Frank."

"But I..."

"NO BUTS!" Dosrian shouted at him. "GO!"

Shaken, Fiver ran for the door. "Tribus! Tribus!" He called.

Dosrian lent against the door and Raven spotted a redness spilling from his hands. He was bleeding, and bleeding badly.

"Let me see!" Raven said, forcing Dosrian to part his hands. Something had impaled him through his stomach and out his back. The red stain of blood was spreading out and pooling at his feet. He already looked deadly pale and had trouble standing on his own two feet. "Hold still, I can fix this."

"Is this the End?" He asked, and Raven jumped back when Dosrian suddenly imploded into dust. What remained of Dosrian piled onto the floor and even that seemed to slowly be dissolving and vanishing away.

"What the hell was that?" Kasey asked slowly. The two looked at each other in horror, unsure what they had just witnessed. Did Dosrians body just fly apart in front of them?

Tribus and the Doctor burst into the kitchen.

"Raven, I'm here. What happened?!" The Doctor said with concern in his voice, and he could tell from the look on her face something had happened.

"Dosrian, just kind of..." Kasey said, stumbling over his words in shock.

"Collapsed into dust." Raven said forwardly, and she explained about the creature they had found in the basement.

"Some kind of 'mummy' you say?" Tribus asked, his fingers to his lips in a very Doctor like thought process.

"So you don't disbelieve her story?" The Doctor asked surprised. "No offence, but usually we're met with scowling, scoffing and outright ridicule."

 _You speak for yourself._ Raven thought.

"Fiver explained what he saw. A mummy of some sort, and your friend confirmed it. Either they're all suffering from the same mass delusion, or they speak the truth." Tribus said. He sounded an awful lot like Sherlock Holmes, or how Raven thought Sherlock Holmes would sound. Maybe they were in this 'Land of Fiction' after all.

The Doctor knelt down, pulled out his Sonic Screwdriver and appeared to be examining the floor where Dosrians ashes had fallen and vanished. It produced a soft whirr as the Screwdriver did whatever scientific magic it was suddenly capable of today.

"Master Tribus." The Doctor announced, "I'd like everyone to gather in the living room if you please."

"Why? Whats wrong?" Tribus asked.

"I'll explain to everyone once they're all in there." The Doctor said.

"Very good, sir." Tribus said and walked away, the small form of Kasey on his heels.

It was strange, Raven thought, how Tribus doesn't seem to be too shocked that Dosrian is dead, nor that he crumbled to dust, in the same way he didn't seem very concerned that his father had died. This put Tribus on top of her list of suspects, he clearly knew something.

The Doctor now sat, crossed legged on the floor. Staring intensely at the spot Dosrian had fallen apart, a look of utter concentration on his face.

Raven knew what the Doctor wanted. He wanted her to ask what was going on, but she just waited and gave him a look to say she wasn't going to ask the stereotypical "What is it Doctor?" that she got the feeling most of his companions would ask right now.

"Alright, I'll tell you what I'm thinking." The Doctor started.

"Shut up, me first!" Raven cut him off. "I have trouble grabbing things with my powers. Crates, the mummy, even dust particles. The only thing I was able to interact with was the TARDIS. Yes, I threw the TARDIS at it, no I didn't damage the paintwork. If the TARDIS has a problem it can deal with me, later."

Raven then stopped and decided to test something out. Her eyes glowed as she used her powers to pluck the Sonic Screwdriver from his hands and it floated into her own.

"There is nothing wrong with my powers. I can move us and the TARDIS around. But I can't interact with anything else in this world." Raven summarised.

"Very good. You're getting used to this." The Doctor smiled.

"Don't patronise me." She said.

"No, I mean it. Most companions would patiently wait for me to explain it all for them."

Raven handed the Doctor back his Sonic Screwdriver. "I'm 'not' your companion." She said firmly.

"Okay, 'Assistant'." The Doctor was mocking her again.

"Anything else you want to call me before I paralyse your tongue?" Raven threatened, it wasn't a serious threat, or she tried to not let it sound like one.

"Only that the problem with your powers might still be a problem with us. If the TARDIS jumped a time track we'd be out of phase slightly with the rest of reality. Last time it happened we couldn't be seen nor could we interact with the world around us, we were literally ghosts." The Doctor shrugged, "Curiouser and Curiouser."

"You may tell me what you were thinking, now." Raven said, crossing her arms across her chest.

"The creature you described is one that appears in Gallifreyan Folklore. They're rather like the Weeping Angels but on a whole different level. They're called Mummies of Misery. It's said when they show up they cause untold damage and bad luck. Only problem is, they're not real. They're made up things like Zagreus or the Toclafane." The Doctor paused. "Evidence is mounting that we're in the Land of Fiction."

"Are these Mummies dangerous?" Raven asked.

"They can be, if you let them into the house." The Doctor said, "All it takes is a small opening to let them inside."

"Fiver opened a window just before it appeared." Raven realised.

"Yes, Fiver." The Doctor thought. "Listen Raven, while I talk to everyone about this I want you to take Fiver to his room and keep him there."

"Why me?" Raven snapped.

"Because he likes you, and I need to tell everyone about the potential danger facing us." The Doctor said.

"Why can't you play baby sitter while I tell everyone what's going on?" Raven asked, she really didn't want to look after that hyper little kid.

"Alright, how would you tell them?" The Doctor asked.

"Dosrian has been murdered by a Mummy, there are probably more and they're coming for us too and by morning we might all be dead." Raven said simply.

"And you don't see what's wrong with how you've phrased that?" He asked.

"No."

"And 'that' is why 'you' are babysitting." Raven frowned, she had hoped saying that would convince the Doctor that she shouldn't be left around kids. She just groaned and sighed deeply, clearly she wasn't going to have her own way this time. But she'll have an opportunity to get back at him, she just had to be patient, and when it happens she'd milk it for all it was worth.

"Okay. But I want to read 'The Deathly Hallows' ahead of you. I saw it in your reading pile, and I know that pile goes down very slowly."

"Knock yourself out." The Doctor shrugged. With that agreed they walked back into the living room and Raven took Fiver aside.

"Fiver, come with me." She said and half dragged the kid away. "Show me your room."

"Want to play a game?" Fiver asked brightly.

"Sure, why not..." Raven said with not much enthusiasm. Fiver raced up the stairs with Raven following. He seems to have gotten over that trauma quite quickly, weird.

She looked back at the Doctor as he gathered everyone left around him. Raven wanted to hear the start of what he had to say and how different it was from her own explanation. Then he announced to them.

"Gentlemen, I have news. Dosrian has been killed by a mummy, there could be an army of them out there about to attack us, and by morning we might all be dead." He said that very fast. "Anyone interested?"

"What an asshole." Raven mumbled to herself and followed Fiver up to the landing.

But Fiver wasn't in his room. Instead Raven saw that the door at the far end of the landing was ajar. Kasters room. Oh no, who unlocked that door? The boy was about to see his dead grandparent!

But as Raven rushed to collect him the boy came out by himself looking confused. "Where's Kaster? He's not down stairs and he's not in his bed room."

"What?" Raven exclaimed. They had left the body on the bed. She pushed open the door and looked inside and found Kasters body had indeed gone. "What the...?" and she approached the bed. There was a depression in it and no evidence Kaster had been removed, unless he was lifted up directly from the bed. Raven felt a breeze on her cheek and looking at the window it was slightly ajar too. Someone had opened the window. Raven reached up and closed it. Then a horrible thought occurred to her. There might be something in here with them. Raven pulled her hood up up over her head then grabbed Fiver by the arm. "Come on!"

Making sure there was nothing in Fivers room she pushed him in and closed the door after her and listened to the door for that weird raspy noise.

"Why do you wear a hood?" the boy asked Raven. "I think it makes you look kind of cool. Kind of like a Jedi." Raven didn't know how to take that compliment, nor how to take the comparison to a 'Jedi.' Whatever they were.

"Why do you keep your legs exposed?" the boy asked, he was full of questions and they were irritating.

"Let's play a game. It's called sit down and be quiet!" Fiver got the gist that something was up as he flopped himself down on his bed and stared at Raven.

"Dosrian is dead, isn't he?" Fiver asked sombrely.

"Yes," she decided not to sugar coat it, that was more the Doctors thing than hers. Better to rip the band-aid off fast, it would be painful but it'd fade faster. That was her style. A quick pain, then move on.

"You're listening for a mummy aren't you?" The boy said. He didn't seem all that scared for a ten year old.

"Yeah..." Raven said, "Why aren't you scared?"

"Why aren't you?" Raven actually had to admit she was a little scared, she didn't like it when her powers didn't work properly. But she didn't admit this to Fiver. Not for Fivers benefit, but for hers. "You're a very strange boy." Raven wondered.

"You're a very strange girl."

"Are you going to answer everything like that?" Raven asked getting a little irritated. Fiver just shrugged.

Raven stepped away from the door, convinced nothing was about to pop through it and now took in the boys room. She'd never seen a little boys room before, though some books had described one, and it was utterly cluttered with toys, books, and games.

The hyper little boy was just resting on his bed with a book in his hands. Odd how he wasn't as hyper as when they first met. He was running all over the place and as time marched he seemed to become a different boy. Still with plenty of energy, but now it felt more concentrated somehow. Maybe he was feeling a sugar crash or something.

"You remind me a lot of Franky." Fiver said.

"Don't you start psychoanalysing me now." Raven warned, "I'm not in the mood!"

"He likes you." Fiver said.

"Tell him, I think he's a creep!" Raven fired back.

"No, not in 'that' way." Fiver didn't even talk like a ten year old anymore. "He likes you because he thinks you know his pain. But he's afraid to get too close in case he gets burnt again."

"I tend to have that affect on people." Raven said darkly. "I don't 'do' friends."

"He pretends that too." Fiver said, oh great, now a little boy was patronising her too. "He opens up to me because I know his pain too. Though I don't feel it anymore."

Raven rolled her eyes. How could a ten year old possibly know what a man twice his age possibly felt or thought? Least of all, get over it.

"Then, he's nothing like me." she said, "I'd never open myself up to anyone. My baggage is my own, and I know no one wants to hear it."

"He didn't tell me." Fiver said, "I kind of have no choice but to know him. I've known him inside and out since the day I was born."

 _How in the hell does that make sense?!_ Raven asked herself rather than verbally express it. She sat at the foot of his bed while he read his book. The Deathly Hallows?! That was quite an advanced book for Fiver. But it proved they were on Earth at least.

When Dosrian had called Frank by his name he'd said it with a mocking inflection. Like he meant something playfully insulting, like maybe 'Frankenstein'. Frank was big on science. Was Fiver a clone of some sort? They both had the same eye and hair colour sure and... she'd only just realised something. Fiver didn't call Kaster and Tribus Father or Grandfather, he called them by their given names. Were Frank and Fiver even real brothers?

As she thought deeper and deeper on this she found herself just getting tangled in the mass of possibilities that could explain this. So she filed it away under 'pointless side thoughts' because they clearly had no significance.

Were Frank and Fiver even related? They looked similar, but at the same time very different.

Darkness fell as the lights suddenly went out. Quickly Raven got up and flipped the switch, but the light refused to come on.

"Must be a power outage." Fiver said.

Now looking out the window Raven could see the wind turbine that produces power to the house. It had stopped entirely. Then her attention was snatched by a sight in the snow as she saw not one, but two bandaged, and burnt mummies lumbering towards the house!

"Fiver, with me, now!" Raven commanded and Fiver jumped at her word. They both went back down stairs and to the Doctor who was discussing the power issue with Tribus.

"I built that thing myself, there's no chance of it stopping like that!" Tribus said.

"Everything wears out and stops eventually. Especially if you push it to extremes like in this weather." The Doctor explained.

"No, it's impossible!" Tribus was very sure of that.

"Doctor," Raven said getting his attention, "We have company. Mummies are coming." and she pointed through the window.

"Did they damage the turbine?" Frank asked.

"We need to get the power back on!" Tribus said. "Its the only way we can call for help, and without power this house will start to freeze over."

"Doctor, why don't we just go to the TARDIS?" Raven asked, it was the obvious solution after all.

"Not an option I'm afraid." He said, "There are now more mummies in the basement. We've locked them down there, but they're between us and the TARDIS."

"What's a TARDIS?" Kasey asked.

"Its how we got here. But sadly it's no good to us with those murderous mummies down there." The Doctor said.

"And we have no way of defeating these mummies?" Raven asked.

"None that I can think of. The only thing we can do is run away from them." The Doctor said.

"They've stopped..." Frank said looking out of the window. Indeed, the two mummies had come to a total stop. They were just standing there, the wind buffeting their bandages, the snow still not collecting on them.

They could hear a banging coming from the kitchen as the mummies in the basement tried to break out.

"We have to get the power back on!" Tribus said and he strolled toward the coat wrack with purpose and pulled on a long, black coat. "I'm going out there to fix it." Okay, he was clearly nuts!

"Those mummies are still dangerous." The Doctor said.

"They are also slow on the mark and easy to out run." Tribus said.

"It's blowing a gale out there!" The Doctor shouted at him.

"This family is now my responsibility." Tribus said pulling on some woollen gloves. "I shall protect them with my life, if need be. If getting the power back on saves them, then I shall risk it." Tribus turned to Frank. "You're in charge while I'm gone!" and without another word he flung open the door and was out the door in a flash.

"No wait, wait!" The Doctor said racing after him. "Raven stay here, protect them!" and he was gone out the door and it slammed shut behind them.

"I'll make one thing perfectly clear." Raven said not looking at, but pointing at Frank. "'You' are 'not' in charge!"

At the window they watched as the Doctor and Tribus fought in the snow to reach the base of the turbine. Oddly the mummies didn't seem to want to follow. The Doctor thought it odd too, as he approached a mummy, an insane act only he could be capable of, and waved his hand up and down in front of its face. It turned and looked directly at him, but didn't react. Weird.

Tribus and the Doctor were then at the foot of the turbine and were fast ascending the ladder to get up to the turbine casing. Hopefully the damage wasn't too bad and they could fix it. Raven was still suspicious of Tribus, she stared at him, waiting for him to show his true colours. If he so much as laid a finger on the Doctor then she swore to herself Tribus will feel her wrath, and it would be painful for him.

Suddenly a black mist erupted outside the house near the porch. Another mummy had appeared. It didn't move, it appeared to be waiting. Raven kept an eye on it in case it was up to something. She thought about encasing it in black energy to keep it contained, but remembered that wouldn't work.

The window in front of them was starting to fog up as all four of them watched and Raven rubbed her fingers over the glass to clear it.

Just through the snow Raven could see Tribus and the Doctor working at a panel at the top of the turbine. Raven wanted to project her consciousness over to them, but if she did that she might not notice if a mummy was coming up behind her. So her mind stayed here.

 _You be careful up there!_ She thought to herself, because she couldn't bring herself to say it to him telepathically. She waited for her mind to be in conflict with her about this thought, but it remained silent and focused on what was happening.

Tribus held out two cables in front of the Doctor, motioning that something was wrong before going back to work again. The Doctor appeared to be thinking, concern on his face as he scratched his head. His clothes were not suitable for the outside storm, but then neither were Tribus's, but both men seemed to be fine as if they were used to these conditions.

Raven hoped the Doctor wouldn't get hypothermia or something. She'd gotten too used to him now to go for a long stretch without him being in the background of her life somewhere.

Suddenly with a loud clang that echoed throughout the forest, the turbine began turning again. The lights in the living room flashed back on and the heaters produced heat again. They did it! Now they watched with baited breath as the two slowly began walking back towards the ladder to go back down to the ground. It was still dangerous up there and the sooner they were safely on the ground, the sooner Raven could release a breath she didn't realise she was holding. She had to admit she was growing attached to the Doctor, and was starting to almost see him like her guardian. She didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

The mummy by the porch raised his arm and pointed. BANG! A blast erupted right next to the Doctor and he fell over the edge! Ravens eyes grew wide as cold fear gripped her heart.

"DAD!" Raven screamed.

 _What did you just call him?!_

 _SHUT UP!_ She was too focused on the Doctor to want to argue with her mind. The Doctor was now dangling from a loose cable. Raven had never felt this sensation before, it was as if her heart had stopped for a brief moment when she thought the Doctor was about to fall to his death. Tribus was at the ladder and was leaning over from the rungs to help pull the Doctor back towards the ladder, a dangerous and brave thing for Tribus to do, especially in this storm. Maybe he wasn't as bad as she thought he was. Raven rested her hands against the glass and as she watched her fingers began to curl up, her nails scratching into the glass as she watched.

Tribus took the Doctors hand and hauled him back onto the ladder. They were safe. The Doctor was safe.

The tension melted away, and then Raven realised what she'd just screamed out and called the Doctor in front of everyone. Raven took Kasey and Frank by the front of their collars and roughly pulled them close to her hooded face, without looking at either of them she said in a threatening tone. "You mention what I called the Doctor to anyone, and the mummies will be the least of your problems. Do I make myself clear?"

Both Kasey and Frank nodded, and she released them. "I mean that, Fiver!" She warned the little boy, who made a motion like he was zipping his mouth shut. Cute... very cute.

The mummy pointed again and suddenly... the ladder collapsed, and both men were falling to their doom!

"NO!" Raven screamed. Quickly splaying her fingers Raven called out her chimes. "Azarath Metrion Zynthos!" and produced a dark platform to catch them. The Doctor landed safely on it and Tribus... just past straight through it! NO!

Holding her left hand aloft to keep the Doctors platform in existence, Raven moved her right hand to the other side and motioned to cast her spell again and produce a new platform for Tribus. "Azarath Metrion Zynthos!" she called again, and another disk appeared, and Tribus fell through that too! Trying again, she attempted to grab him, but she couldn't! Like everything else in this world she couldn't interact with it! Okay, maybe a portal to teleport him here. But he passed through it as if it was nothing too! Now it was too late! NO!

Tribus landed in the snow with a soft thud, white snow erupting from where he'd landed and Raven felt his life force wink out of existence in an instant.

Raven nearly lost concentration and she had to fight to keep the Doctors platform in existence as she slowly lowered him to the ground.

Tribus was dead, and Raven felt like it was her fault.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** I forgot to mention in the last authors notes that I created Frank to be almost Ravens exact duplicate personality wise. I did this because while at a Christmas party one time I did meet someone who was my own exact double personality wise, and honestly rather than connect we found each other very irritating to the point where we had to be as far away from each other as possible. Apparently there is a psychological reason for this that I honestly haven't widely researched myself. But I just thought it'd be interesting for Raven to react to someone of the opposite gender who is very similar to her. Obviously she's irritated, and I guess from her point of view any criticisms she gives Frank is then automatically a criticism of herself, and she doesn't like that. That's why she describes him as an irritating Mirror.


	32. Chapter 31, Escape Attempt

**Chapter 31**

 **Escape** **Attempt**

The room despite being well lit and moderately warm now felt very cold. It was a very sombre mood as Raven just sat. She was aware she had a frown on her face, more deeper than she usually has.

She'd failed. She'd tried to save him, but she still failed. This shouldn't bother her, she should be 'emotionless', but her emotions still swirled around her. Why couldn't she save him? Why was everyone around her dying?

"You did your best." The Doctor said, sitting crossed legged in the corner. Despite looking forty something he looked like a moody child as he concentrated in thought.

He'd made it back in at a run after Tribus fell. Apparently Tribus's body disintegrated to dust not too long after he hit the ground.

Raven looked over to Frank, he was on the couch cradling Fiver in his arms like a little brother as they both tried to deal with more death around them.

Kasey was sitting by the Christmas tree, which was glowing brightly in warm multi-coloured lights, a contrast to the current atmosphere. Kasey plucked a string on his guitar and began playing a slow and sombre tune using individual strings. He didn't sing anything though, just played a tune. Raven didn't know if this was the time or place to play his guitar, but no one seemed to mind. In fact it seemed to settle Fiver and Frank, so for their benefit she didn't take Kasey's guitar and ram it over his head.

There was the noise at the window and at the basement door, a soft banging as the Dark Mummies tried to break in. They'd closed the curtains so they didn't have to look at them staring in.

"I said, you did your best." The Doctor said again.

"That doesn't make me feel any better." Raven sat next to him and sighed deeply.

"We can't stop death, as you said it comes for everyone." The Doctors eyes were staring out into blank nothing as he spoke, his eyes looked sharp and uncaring as his brain tried to figure out how to defeat those mummies.

"But I had a chance to save him, and I couldn't."

"Well, see it like this." The Doctors eyes focused, he looked at her and smiled. "The 'unredeemable monster' actually has a conscience."

"I'm not really in the mood, Doctor." Raven looked away, "I should be stronger than this. It's these emotions that'll rule my powers if I can't keep them under control."

"We all feel sadness at some point in our lives. Otherwise we'd be Cybermen. It's our emotions that make us human, relatively speaking of course. Often times we must weather a storm in order to reach calmer waters and see the beautiful, tropic islands."

"You've failed to save people before?" Raven asked.

"It happens everywhere I go. Very rarely does everyone live." He explained.

"Do you 'feel' anything when you fail?" She asked.

"A little. In all honesty I'm now so used to it I'm becoming numb to it." He sighed. "But I must never shut those emotions out or let them die. If I became totally numb to it, then I wouldn't care anymore. I wouldn't make that little extra effort to save someone, if I'm too focused on the bigger picture."

Raven sat and thought of these words. She pretended she was an emotionless creature of darkness, but she kept feeling, 'emoting' at everything new she saw or experienced. She didn't know if she could ever get used to death. But the scary thing was, if she ever did would she not care about the death and destruction she would cause? Would she follow and become like her father and not care as countless people died in her shadow? Perhaps Death is the one thing she should never get used to.

She saw Frank open a curtain to look out at the mummies as if he was contemplating something. Fiver was left curled up on the couch. Frank scratched the back of his head, caught Ravens eye and quickly turned away.

He went up to Kasey as he played the slow and sombre music.

"Are you injured?" he asked, nodding at the bandages around his arms which could clearly be seen because of the way he was holding his guitar. Kasey looked at his arms and tried to pull his sleeves back down over them.

"Just a small accident when I repaired Old Reliable, it's nothing." Kasey said.

"Those bandages are filthy." Frank said, "We should change them. We have some more in the kitchen."

"I'm perfectly alright!" Kasey said, rather sharply and bluntly. Something was affecting him too. Was it the death? Or was it something else? He wasn't bouncy or happy anymore, he was very sombre. It looked like the first genuine emotion he'd had all night.

Frank moved on and went into the kitchen, coming back with fresh bandages that he placed on the floor next to Kasey for him to use as he wished. Kasey waited as Frank retreated, then looked down at the dirty rags around his arms before putting his guitar down, scooping up the bandages and retreating into the kitchen to change them.

Frank went back to the window, peaked through the curtains and stared at the mummies again. What was he thinking exactly?

Raven turned back to the Doctor.

"Any ideas?" She asked, "And don't give me a flippant answer, please."

"I have many, but sadly none fit entirely." The Doctor said.

"I mean about defeating the mummies." Raven said, "We can forget the riddle for now."

"Can we? I think if we solve that riddle we might have some answers." The Doctor drummed his fingers on his face. "Like how it's funny that someone calls for help, help arrives and no one says 'Oh, thank you, gracious Time Lord and Demon Girl for coming to our aid.' no one. Who sent the telepathic message and what for? We didn't Time Travel while we chased the signal so the message was sent long before the mummies ever showed up. So maybe the mummies aren't the danger we were supposed to defeat."

"You mean there's something worse here?" Raven asked a tinge of fear creeping into her heart. The mummies were bad enough, what here could be worse?

"I'm also starting to agree that this isn't the real world." The Doctor said, "Something about this place feels constructed somehow, like it's all a metaphor for something. You know, I once landed on a planet that was much like a living thing. Its atmosphere and weather was affected by the emotional turmoil of whoever was on its surface. The planet actually began collecting people. They were like toys to it. It would experiment to find out how durable they were, then rewind their suffering and play it out again."

"What are you saying? The planet's playing with us like a kid playing with dolls?" Raven asked, feeling a little creeped out that someone was playing with her like she was a doll.

"It would make sense why everyone here is male. It might only have access to these six individuals to play with. Setting up scenarios like Christmas and play it out. Then introduce new elements, like you, me and Kasey and watch it all play out differently."

"So you mean Kaster, Dosrian, Tribus. They could be brought back?" Raven said, she actually felt a spark of hope. "Even Sechi?"

"Sechi?" The Doctor asked, "Oh, that balled chap?" The Doctor said remembering him. "You think he's dead?"

"He must be, otherwise why isn't he here?" Raven shrugged.

"Unless he isn't actually part of this game." The Doctor added rather darkly. "He could just have been an avatar for what's doing this. He certainly doesn't seem to fit in. That means five people where here, perhaps Kasey is already part of this and is already slowly being absorbed by the scenario."

"I did have trouble reading Kasey's mind earlier." Raven held up her hand, "Spare me the lecture, please. It's like his mind was there, but when I tried to read it, it faded away." The Doctor seemed to consider again. Raven could almost see the cogs turning in his head as he absorbed this new information.

"That means I was chosen as the seventh person, and with the clock refusing to strike midnight means its trying to claim you too, Raven. But something is stopping it." The Doctor snapped out of his dark trance and shrugged. "Or I'm talking a load of old rubbish."

"It wouldn't be the first time." Raven commented, but the Doctor seemed to ignore her.

"This is like trying to solve a jigsaw without all the pieces, none of them flat edged, and no picture on the box to show what its supposed to look like. I can get a notion, but I need to find an edged piece so I know where a boundary is at least." The Doctors language was colourful, confusing, but she got the idea. In this wide universe the solution could still be a million and one things. But to think they were now the play things of some god like creature of a higher dimension was a scary thought. She always assumed she'd be the dark creature playing with peoples lives one day.

The Doctor was concentrating again. Raven always wanted to be left alone when she concentrated, so she stood up and left the Doctor alone to ponder.

She pulled her hood up and went towards Frank. She felt terrible about not being able to save his father and despite being a total creep she wanted to apologise to him. She stood, staring at his back as she tried to drum up the courage to say this, because she got the feeling he was blaming her.

"Sorry. I'm sorry for your loss." She said quietly, "I tried to save him."

"I know, I was there, I saw what you did." He didn't turn to look at her, instead he just continued to stare through the curtains, at the mummies. "It's not your fault."

There was something strange in Franks body language she couldn't understand. It was like he was wrestling with something. Raven decided to distance herself from him because she had a feeling she knew what it was, and she didn't want him to embarrass himself, nor make her feel awkward.

Something caught her attention, some kind of odd disturbance in the ether, and it was coming from the kitchen. She could also sense a wave of negative emotion and sadness.

Curiously she decided to investigate. Hovering over the floor instead of walking to mask her presence she gently opened and closed the door. Kasey went this way, what was he up to?

Still the mummy in the basement pounded at the door, wanting to get out, but the door held it in place.

In an alcove which led into the dining area Raven could see some kind of odd, dull glow illuminating the walls. Slowly it faded away as did the wave of negative emotions.

Raven backed into the shadows and watched Kasey come back into the kitchen, the bandages on his arms changed for cleaner ones. He went up to a bin and disposed of his old ones. From his jacket pocket he'd pulled out a bottle. It rattled in his hands. He tipped something out, popped it in his mouth and swallowed it. He screwed the cap back on, saw that the bottle was empty and dumped it into the bin with the bandages.

He turned to go back towards the living room. But he stopped, and slowly he turned. He was looking at something Raven couldn't see from her angle as a cupboard blocked her view. The short man just seemed to be staring at what ever he was looking at long and intensely. As Raven watched, Kaseys face became darker, his eyes more focused and he looked at the thing with an intense hatred that looked like it burnt deep. His fingers were curling and digging into his own palms so deeply Raven thought he'd draw blood.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when Kasey suddenly drew an arm back and smashed his fist into something with such fury, there was a sound of something shattering. With his fist still pressing into whatever he'd punched, Kasey just kept staring at it with deep hatred.

He withdrew his hand, wiped off his knuckles as his eyes still stared darkly at the thing. He took a deep breath and walked away, he closed his eyes and breathed out. When he opened his eyes again he had that unnerving smile on his face, the one that looked more forced than real.

When Kasey was out of the way she floated towards what he'd had attacked in such utter hatred. A million smaller versions of herself looked back at her in the cracks of the now splintered mirror Kasey had been looking into.

Confusion passed her face. She looked at the living room door that Kasey went through and back to the mirror. All that anger, all that intense hatred, all that vicious, negative emotion, that violence, and it was all aimed at... himself? Raven looked at the living room door again. Does Kasey hate himself?

She looked in the bin at the bottle Kasey had thrown away. It was an empty pill bottle and a label on it named the previous contents as 'Escitalopram'. What that was used for she didn't know, but she guessed it meant Kasey wasn't well. She reached out and scanned his body with her mind. But something was wrong. His body, it just felt wrong for a human. His blood pressure was far too low, his organs were jumbled and more than one of them were actively still pulsating.

What the hell was he? Was he a threat to them?

Finding his mind she decided to try something. She gathered her powers, focused on his mind and mentally she ran right at it determined to break into whatever defences he had.

It worked! She connected!

Raven found herself in a dark place, a very dark place. So dark she was surrounded by pitch blackness. In the distance there was a shining light, an exit maybe? She began walking towards it, it was the only place she found she could go. As she walked she realised the floor was flooded with water up to an inch thick. she continued towards the light.

What kind of a mind-scape was this?

It felt like she'd been walking for hours and still she hadn't reached the end. All that changed as the water had begun to inch its way up her legs, soaking into her cloak. When it reached her hips she decided she'd fly. Only as she tried, her powers refused to lift her up. Annoyed, but undeterred she pressed on. As she moved towards the light the water got deeper and deeper, filling her with a sense of anxiety, especially once it reached her neck. Only when she couldn't touch the floor did she suddenly remember.

 _Wait, I can't swim!_ She'd never needed to learn how to swim on Azarath.

She flailed her arms trying to pull herself back up to the surface, but the ground beneath her feat had vanished. She tried to push herself backwards. But there was nowhere to go! She tried to fly again, but she just couldn't. Her only hope was that the light was near enough for her to reach it. She struggled, and forced herself forwards, it felt like she'd been here for years, just struggling against the water.

She was tiring, and she felt like she was being dragged under! She was so tired, she wanted to stop, to rest, to give up. No matter how hard she swam the light was just always out of reach. Was there any point any more? She was so tired, so very tired. She stopped struggling and sank into the cold water, her brain numb and allowed herself to drown.

That's when she snapped out of her trance and she was back in her own body.

What the heck was that?! It was awful, she didn't want to feel that way again! Was it some kind of defence against intruders?

Quickly, she calmed down and filed away all she had learnt away for future reference. Raven was about to go back into the living room again when she saw another glow dancing on the walls, from something behind her. Slowly she turned and looked out through the french windows. There was something glowing outside, between the trees. Raven went up to the windows and looked outside trying to see what it was, and when she realised what it was alarm bells rang off inside her head as the glow appeared to be spreading rapidly.

Quickly she floated back into the living room and burst through the door, catching everyone's attention. "GUYS! The forest is on fire!"

* * *

Frank drew the curtains fully and looked outside. They were surrounded by a ring of fire, and it was still spreading. The licking flames and already caught the barn and that was already burning, as was the shed. It wouldn't be long before the fire spread over to the house.

They had to get out of here right now, but where could they go except the TARDIS?

"Yes, you're right." The Doctor said when she suggested this to him. "Its the only place we know for sure we'd be safe." She was surprised that he was actually agreeing with her. Was he feeling alright? "But first we'll need to deal with that mummy in the basement."

Raven felt a hand on her shoulder and the persons other hand grab the Doctors shoulder. They both turned to see Frank. He'd put on a dark coat over his waistcoat and was looking intensely at them. Raven tried to shrug his hand off but he held on quite firmly.

"This 'TARDIS' thing, are you sure it's safe?" Frank asked, pointedly.

"It's our safest bet of getting out of here alive." The Doctor explained.

Frank closed his eyes, he was still wrestling with something, and when he spoke it wasn't what Raven expected him to say. "Look after Fiver for me. Promise me that he'll be okay!"

Put on the spot Raven stumbled and quickly said "O...okay."

With that said Frank let them go and turned towards the kitchen. Raven only now wondered if what he was wrestling with before wasn't anything to do with her at all.

"Frank, what are you doing?" The Doctor called after him. Alarm bells rang in Raven's head when Frank unbolted and opened the door to the basement!

"You want me, don't you?!" He shouted down the stairs. "I'm next in line! You want me? COME AND GET ME!"

A bandaged hand shot through the door to grab him, but Franks head jolted back putting him just out of reach. Holy hell this one was quick!

"SHIT!" Frank swore and swung the door shut on the mummy to knock it over. With it stunned Frank bounded for the french windows, fumbled with the key and forced them open. The mummy turned to look at the four remaining people but it didn't seem interested in them. Instead it bound out the french windows, after Frank who had disappeared into the storm.

"FRANK!" Fiver shouted, reaching out for his brother, or friend?

Raven and the Doctor were at the windows in a second to watch him sprint for the forest, the lumbering mummy disappearing and re-appearing in puffs of black smoke as it jumped from spot to spot like it was playing with him.

Frank made for a clearing in the fire that he could disappear through, but that gap closed and stepping from the inferno was another mummy. But this one was different. This one was burning, it was on fire.

Skidding to a halt on the snow, Frank took off again and moved to circle the house, the black mummy chasing after him.

The Mummy on Fire turned its head to watch Frank go, but didn't follow. It's head then turned back, and looked at the four remaining people. Slowly it began advancing, the snow at its feet melting to steam as it walked.

Quickly the Doctor shut the french windows and locked them.

"The TARDIS!" the Doctor announced and the four went down into the basement. They found out how that mummy got in. Someone or something had opened the basement window, snow was piling up on the train set.

The Doctor stopped at the foot of the steps and called them all to a halt. There was something at his feet that interested him. He knelt down and picked it up. It was long, thin, and covered in dried blood.

"That must be what impaled Dosrian." Raven said.

"But this is no part from a train set." The Doctor turned the object over in his hands. It was like a long vessel and it had cracked open. The Doctor rolled it and Raven could see some kind of liquid still inside it. He looked around at the blown up bits of crate and train set looking for where this object came from. But he seemed to have no luck.

"It looks strangely familiar. But its part of no train set." He then looked back at the train set again. "You know, what this reminds me of is just on the tip of my mind!"

"Doctor!" Raven called, he was distracted again, "The TARDIS!"

"What? Oh yes, right you are." He said and walked up to the box, put the key in the lock and was about to open it when something slid in through the still open basement window.

Frank landed on his feet, grabbing the narrow window and using it to swing himself down to the floor. He pulled the window shut just as his mummy pursuer slammed into it. The glass held, but it wasn't giving up. It vanished again, looking for another opening.

Frank pulled open his collar and undid his tie. He was sweating. "I feel really hot."

"FRANKY!" Fiver squealed at his brother and raced towards him to embrace him in a hug.

The Doctor turned the key and opened the TARDIS. "You all might want to prepare yourself for a bit of a shock." and the Doctor went inside the TARDIS, followed by Raven and the others.

That bell was still ringing. The cloister bell the Doctor had called it, and it apparently only rang when the TARDIS was in danger. The Doctor approached the console and set the strange piece of metal on it and began examining it. Passing it under a small desk lamp built into the console, it looked like the lamp scanned it. Why was he focusing on that piece of junk?

Raven glanced at the controls. It still said it was the seventh and the clock was still stuck at midnight. There was a change though. The roller that told what month and year had changed so it made the date sound like. The seventh of 'Help me', 'I'm dying.'

"This thing," the Doctor said, looking up at the scanner, "contains proteins and peptides, blood obviously. But it has a mystery element. One of atomic number 200.592? Which would make it..." The Doctors face froze. An indication that the pieces were falling into place in his brain.

"No!" That was Kasey. He was framed in the door way, and he looked around in utter horror. He was trembling and all the colour was draining from his face as if he'd seen the most horrific thing! "NO, NO, NO!"

"Yes, it's bigger inside than it is outside." Raven sighed, "Get over it."

"NO NO NO NO NO NO!" He shook his head as if he was about to have a break down. He then turned and ran from the TARDIS. What the... What was this idiot doing?

"HEY, GET BACK HERE!" Raven called and she raced after him, just before she exited the TARDIS she heard the Doctor call out to her. "Wait, Raven. I know what's going on. Those things aren't mummies, they're Wat..." But the rest of that was cut off as she flew out of the TARDIS after Kasey. The Doctor can tell her once she's dragged this idiot back to the TARDIS

As she left the Police Box she found herself running into Frank and Fiver who were still outside.

"What are you two doing?!" Raven asked before commanding them to "GET INSIDE THE TARDIS!"

"We can't." Frank said, and he and Fiver pressed up against some kind of barrier at the threshold that was blocking them entry. "We just can't. Somethings stopping us going through the doors."

Raven exited the box and looked at it. "What game are you playing?" She asked of the box. But then the TARDIS door suddenly swung shut and THUD, THUD, THUD! That was the noise the TARDIS made when it disconnected from reality and began to take off! It began to wheeze and groan, but the TARDIS kept producing a 'Ka'Chud' noise that it usually makes when it re-connected with reality.

She got a sense it was like the TARDIS was fighting to stay 'here' while some force tried to push it off. The box began to shake, clearly under some kind of pressure, but still it fought to stay in place.

"Azarath Metrion Zynthos!" Raven cast a black shroud over the machine and tried to help it stay grounded. She gripped it tightly with her powers like it was a person about to fall into an abyss. Clearly the Doctor, nor the TARDIS were doing this and all three were now fighting to stop whatever was happening to the machine.

An explosion happened at her feet and she was flung to the floor as the TARDIS faded out and vanished, still trying to 'ka'chud' and stop.

The TARDIS was gone and so was the Doctor! They were on their own.

Raven didn't get a chance to register the full blow this was to her when she heard the raspy intake of breath as a mummy lumbered toward them from the shadows, it's arm out stretched.

"MOVE!" Raven screamed as all five of them sprinted up the stairs again. Frank seemed to be holding back, he was panting as if he was in pain.

She reached back and grabbed his arm and tried to pull him along. "On your feet, move it. I'm not dragging you along!" Despite saying this she was doing just that. She dragged him up the stairs and out the door back into the kitchen. Why was his hand suddenly burning?! Why was it burning her?

"Leave me!" Frank said and forcibly he pulled his hand away. He looked like he was in a great deal of pain. He hadn't just felt like he was burning. He 'was' burning! He was on fire!

He swallowed and reached out, his eyes scared. The flames licked at them.

"NO, Franky!" Fiver cried "You can't leave, Quattoreto!" Raven tried to cast a spell to put the flames out, but whatever these flames were they were not dying.

Frank looked at Fiver, a look of sorrow on his face. "I'm sorry." He said, tears welling in his eyes, "I'm sorry. It was my fault, all my fault. I tried to harness a power I didn't fully understand. I thought only I was affected, but it damaged you too." He swallowed, "I thought I could buy you more time, but that was a hopeless fantasy. Forgive me, brother."

He then fell to his knees, screaming as the flames burnt him. Then suddenly he vanished and all that was left was a clump of dirt.

Raven tried to make Fiver retreat back into the living room, but Fiver wouldn't move. She tried to tug on him, but he just stared blankly ahead, haunted.

"Come on," Raven said trying to pull him, "You can mourn him later, right now we need to move!"

"Miss Raven..." Fiver said, tears collecting in his eyes, he looked like he was pleading with her. "I don't feel so good..." His skin had gone grey and around his feet particles of dust were collecting as his nose and ears began to dissolve away, he was crumbling to dust. Oh no, it was happening to him too, right now. But why?!

Teary eyed he looked into Ravens eyes, but she couldn't do anything to stop it. "I don't want to go..."

Raven reached down to hold him in a vain hope she could hold his form together. But he just collapsed into dust in her arms.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** Not much to say for this chapter that won't spoil the resolution. Hopefully, unless its too long, all the answers will follow in the next chapter. ;)


	33. Chapter 32, Midnight Approaches

**Authors notes:** A warning, this is about to get quite dark.

 **[Edits 07/07/2019]:** I was always unhappy with how I'd written the final of this story. So I edited the second half of this chapter. Nothing too major, it still ends the same way.

* * *

 **Chapter 32**

 **Midnight Approaches.**

Ravens hands were shaking as the full impact of what had just occurred hit her. The TARDIS was gone, so was the Doctor. Kasey had ran off, Frank had burnt up and Fiver just fell apart. She was on her own.

She held up her hands in a defensive posture and prepared to fight the mummy coming from the basement. But it wasn't there. Its as if it had totally vanished.

She felt something through her legs. Some kind of Earth tremor. It came again only stronger. The light from the fire outside caught her attention and she retreated back into the living room.

Kasey was in here, curled up on the floor, holding his head looking like he was going into full panic mode. He was rocking back and forth like something had deeply disturbed him.

The Doctor said Kasey was the key to all of this, and he was certainly hiding something, and right now she had no patience. She glided over to him, she was aware her image now looked intimidating, but she didn't care. She could feel her eyes burning red.

"WHY DID YOU LEAVE THE TARDIS?!" Raven raged, "We were all safe in there, and you ran out!" Kasey just rocked backwards and forwards. He was mumbling something under his breath.

"It's not real, it's not real, it's not real, it's not real!" he was repeating it over and over as if trying to convince himself of something he knew wasn't right. "It's not real, it's not real, it's not real, it's not real!"

"SHUT UP!" she screamed at him, grabbing him by his collar and forcing him to his feet, "TELL ME THE TRUTH, RIGHT NOW!"

"But I don't know the truth..." Kasey cried.

"You're lying!"

"I'm not!"

"BULLSHIT!" Raven screamed, and a blast of energy erupted over the Christmas tree, but like everything in this world it wasn't really affected. "You recognised the TARDIS, didn't you? You've seen it before. Did you know the Doctor, are you one of his enemies? Tell me, right now!"

"I don't know, I don't know." Kasey shook his head, "I don't, I don't!"

"And 'that' is your problem." Said a new voice from the stairs.

The balled head of Sechi was approaching. He'd ditched his old attire and was now dressed in some kind of big, heavy battle dress with body armour, some kind of laser rifle slung around his back. At his belt he held a tube like device Raven guessed might be some kind of laser sword, but something more for ornamental use rather than a practical one by the way he held it. He looked like a soldier of some kind.

"This was all put on for you Kasey. I'm trying to remind you why you did it." Sechi said, activating the laser sword and it glowed orange. "I want peace. But I can't have it while you still live."

"Stay back!" Raven said, holding her hands up, "If anyone's going to murder this idiot, it's going to be me!"

"We're already dead." Sechi said, "Whether we live is up to Kasey. It was him who finally killed us, after all."

Raven turned and gave Kasey an accusing look.

"I don't know what he's talking about!" Raven was about to strike him.

"It's true. He doesn't remember anything." Sechi looked tired and weary, then spoke accusingly. "Any of it. Any of the horrors, any of the stress, any of the loss, any of the trauma, any of what you caused. But it's still there, underneath his shifting foundations he was built on top of. He can wilfully forget all he likes, but the shame is always there. You're a disease Kasey, you cause misery wherever you go. It's time for us to end."

The ground trembled and shook violently, the Christmas tree fell over and the lights went out with a smash.

"Those creatures are the spectres which haunt us. Waiting for their moments to claim us." Sechi went up to the window, a single mummy was staring inside. "This one comes for me. The Burning One comes for you."

"You've been letting them in!" Raven suddenly realised, murderous rage building within her. It hardly mattered if she lost it, her powers couldn't affect anything.

"We deserve to die, all of us. After what we've done, all of us. They all ate and drank happily while all being aware of the hurt they will all cause, the horrors they will witness." Sechi looked at Kasey, "And 'you' shouldn't even exist, at all. I wanted it all to end with me."

"Kindly start making sense." Raven's eyes glowed, but Sechi looked unimpressed.

"You cannot hurt me. In a way, I don't even exist, nothing of this place does." He was right. No matter how hard she focused, she couldn't grab him with her powers.

"Time marches on." Sechi said, he looked at Kasey. "Your watch, look at it."

Kasey reached into his jacket and pulled from it a pocket watch and he opened it, a guitar string nearly uncoiled out of it.

"What do you see? Describe it." Sechi said.

"It's stopped, just before midnight. Ten seconds to midnight." Kasey paused, "No, nine seconds to midnight." Raven grabbed his arms so she could see. Yes, the watches second hand ticked, it looked like it was struggling to advance on, but it suddenly jumped a whole second forwards.

Midnight was approaching.

"Time still marches on. Soon the end will occur and we can all know peace." Sechi said, turning from the mummy and back to Kasey, he waved his sword in a salute before plunging it into the window. It shattered and the mummy fell in through the shattered glass and to the floor.

Sechi deactivated his laser sword and placed it on his belt. Slowly he began retreating towards the kitchen as the mummy found its footing and began lumbering for him like a zombie. The balled man looked at Raven. "You'll find the answers you seek at the foot of the trail, where Kasey entered this world. I'd hurry, time is now short."

"And where are you going?" Raven asked, more confused than ever.

"I'm going to act the part of the captain, and go down with my ship." Sechi looked at Raven, "I'm sorry he dragged you into this, both you and the Doctor. You should've left when you had the chance, when I pushed your Time Capsule out of this world. Good luck. Once I'm gone, the Burning One will come for you. Face him, if you dare."

Sechi disappeared down the stairs, the lumbering mummy following him.

Raven turned back to Kasey, he looked like he was in denial of something. Raven finally did something which made her feel so much better. She smacked him across the head.

"Take me to the foot of the trail!" She fumed, "Right now!"

Kasey pulled on his scarf and coat and picked up 'Jessica'. They were about to leave when they heard the unmistakable crackling of a fire. A glow came from the kitchen followed by a smash as glass shattered. They could see the Burning One coming through the door, everything in the kitchen catching fire as he approached. They had to leave now!

Kasey just stared at this thing, he half looked like he recognised it, but denied it at the same time.

Raven grabbed Kasey and dragged him, she opened the front door and practically threw this man through it.

Kasey bounded towards his car and began clearing the snow from it. The snow storm had stopped and the forest around them burnt. It was cold, but Raven didn't feel it.

Taking his key, he opened the driver side door, and ducked in. Raven was about to bound over and pull him back out when he opened the passenger door for her. She thought he was about to get in and leave her.

She leapt into this small, bubble like car, which was actually smaller on the inside than it was on the outside. The doors slammed shut, Kasey putting Jessica on the back seat and he fumbled with his keys into an ignition hole on the dashboard.

"Seat belts!" Kasey shouted and pulled a belt a cross him. Raven had never been in a car before, so what was that belt for? She mimicked Kasey and fastened her own belt.

Through the windscreen they could see the Burning One as the living room around him burst into flames, he was taking his time as if no matter how far they ran he'd always catch up to them, eventually.

The cars noisy engine roared into life, Kasey shifted it into reverse gear and the car skidded but slowly reversed away. Old Reliable slid and skidded as Kasey swung the whole thing around so the Burning One was behind them and they were racing away as fast as the car could carry them.

Raven looked into a rear view mirror and could see the Burning One still coming for them.

BANG!

The house just exploded, shattered to pieces, the barn and shed were both flattened by the blast, and the Burning One, still kept coming.

Soon they passed down the road, through the flaming forest and emerged into an area where the forest was already burnt, dead and crumbling, and apart from the noise of the engine it was now deadly quiet.

Raven decided she didn't like cars, they weren't very comfortable nor safe experience. Though that was probably because of the speed Kasey was taking corners in the icy conditions.

As they drove, the cars headlamps dully illuminating the trail ahead, Raven began to think. The Doctor thought he had the answer, and it involved an element of atomic mass 200.59.

"What has atomic mass 200.59?" She asked the air. It's not likely Kasey would know.

"Mercury." He answered despite being tensely focused on the road.

"What?" Raven asked surprised.

"Mercury. Atomic Mass 200.59, Atomic Number of 80, electron shell configuration [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2, liquid at room temperature." He rattled all this off and Raven was amazed. He knew more than he was telling her.

Raven clutched her hands to her head. She was receiving a telepathic signal, but it wasn't a message, it was just noise. It was distress, it was a well of negativity. The only way she could describe it was like the shock of some emotion being smashed into her. An emotion from the planet itself. The goth girl gritted her teeth and held back tears, not because it hurt, but because the emotion she was picking up from the world was... it was just depression. Deep, dark, hopeless depression.

 _I will not cry!_

There was an explosion off in the distance and Raven watched the sky and couldn't believe it. It was as if the mountains in the distance, who's slopes were also on fire, were sinking and vanishing into the Earth.

What the hell was happening?

Suddenly a tear opened up along the road and it was as if an entire section of the world had broken off and was ripping itself away. Old Reliable skidded around a corner which now resulted in a drop into. Nothing... just blackness, a void that had nothing in it!

No, wait. There was something, a swirling blackness that seemed to keep fizzing in and out of existence. Darkness, coldness, and sharp teeth. What did that mean? It looked like it was trying to exist, but like a fire on the edge of life it just kept winking back out before flaring up again, fizzling and vanishing all over again.

The car creaked and groaned in protest at being driven this way as it slid and skidded rather than drove down the road. Raven could see the stars in the night sky. They were all going out, each and every one of them. It was like this Universe was dying!

Raven drummed her fingers at her temples remembering what the Doctor had said about a living planet. Is this what it meant? The planet was dying? But then why were the stars going out? Why was the core of this world a big, black void?

They sped down the mountain and into view came some kind of sign post. It said "You are now leaving." and ahead of them was...

"STOP!" Raven cried, there was nothing but a black void in front of them, they were about to slide off the edge of this world and into the blackness!

Kasey tried to thump on his car's brakes but the ice still carried them towards the edge. That was until a tree suddenly fell in their path and the car slammed into it at speed. Raven braced herself on the dashboard. Kasey did the same, but one of his arms reached across the dash, and as Raven fell forwards his arm deflected her from her path towards the windscreen and instead she slammed into the cars A pillar, probably saving her life.

* * *

When Raven came to she was aware of a pain in her head. Her eyes opened, despite the darkness whatever light she could see was stinging, like needles being forced through her eyes and into her brain.

Kasey was slumped over his steering wheel. He groaned as he came too as well. He pushed himself back into his seat, his eyes crunched closed, he gripped the steering wheel tighter. Could Raven see an ominous yellow glow coming from his hands? Raven could see the bandages on his arms, there was a redness spreading out from them. Was he injured?

The glow suddenly made sense when she looked back and saw flames licking the edges of the trail and a single figure walking towards them, strong and with purpose. The Burning One was coming.

"Kasey, wake up!" Raven shook him. She opened the car door and dragged this idiot out, there was a scar on his head now from the crash. The car was a wreck, the entire front end had smashed in.

"I'm okay. I'm okay." He said, and tried to sit up, feeling his head. He screamed and felt his left arm. Raven could sense it was broken. The bones must've snapped when she fell forwards onto him. He'd saved her life at the cost of his arm. He looked like he suddenly realised something and quickly he dived forwards, reached into the back of the car and pulled 'Jessica' and his hat out of Old Reliable, who wasn't so reliable now. "I'm okay. I'm okay." He said, jamming the hat onto his head.

"Good." Raven said, and smacked him in the face. "I wanted you to be awake when I did that! COME ON YOU PATHETIC CREATURE!" She snarled at him.

"AGHHH!" Kaseys head jerked up, he was baring his teeth at her a look of uncontrollable, murderous rage on his face. Where the heck did that come from? Raven retreated instantly in the snow as Kasey snarled at her, so much rage and anger!

Kasey clawed at the snow, and struggled to take a deep breath before he shovelled a great deal of snow onto his face, and screamed not in fear but in utter rage. Storm clouds and lighting strikes arced across the void, striking trees, and blasting rocks. As the scream ended he collapsed in the snow, holding his head, in a pose that suggested he felt great shame.

The crackling of the Burning One reminded her of the danger coming up from behind him.

"He's coming!" Raven shouted and grabbed onto Kasey to haul him to his feet.

"Leave me, just leave me." Kasey cried, "I don't want to go on. I want it all to end." Part of Raven wanted to abandon this stupid man to his fate and find out how to get out of here herself, but helping out even this pathetic creature is what 'nice' people did, and she was really trying to be nice, but people like this just made things so difficult. She would not abandon him. For one thing it seemed like this world and him were connected somehow.

Grabbing him by the arm both he and Raven ran from the Burning One through the thick snow, which was drastically slowing them down. The Burning One just walked through the snow as it melted around him.

Raven felt the biting cold and began to shiver. She stopped to rub her arms. Why did she pick such impractical clothes again? A legless leotard was hardly the best clothes for freezing conditions. Then, suddenly warmth as Kasey put his own large coat on over her and dragged her to her feet. Now he was pulling her along. Raven wanted to shrug the coat off, but realised the gesture would be more to her detriment, and now he was going to freeze to death in that dirty, thin jacket of his.

From the forest Raven could make out a ghostly voice, echoing around them as if from the very planet itself. "Kasterborous..." What? What did that mean. Kasey stopped. "Kasterborous, your time has come."

"It knows my name?!" Kasey said shaking his head again, now Raven had to drag him onward again. "How does it know my name?"

They found a clearing and there was something here. Was this what Sechi meant? It was a grave yard! A small grave yard. Headstones were arranged in front of a stone crypt. Was it the families crypt? Other family members who had died?

As she passed the headstones she caught their names. Kaster, Dosrian, Tribus, Quattoreto, Fiver, Sechi. The names of the dead men, all who had died recently. What did this all mean? There was a fresh grave dug out, the headstone read "Kasey." There were a stack of disused headstones too. Six more of them.

Kasey tried to pull her along. "No, No!" She shouted, "The answer is here."

"And that Mummy is just there!" Kasey shouted and took another step forward. The ground in front of them cracked and began to split and pull away. The crack began to spread, curving around the grave yard and the rest of the world fell away, it was all burning. Unfortunately the Burning One was still on their piece of rock and he was fast approaching.

Raven grabbed Kasey's hand and pulled him towards the only shelter they had. The crypt. The lettering on this claimed it as the Crypt of the Tempus, whatever that meant. She reached the gate and tried to pull it open, but the gate had a padlock sealing it. The lock looked old and rusted, so maybe she could bash it and break it open with a sharp rock, and she found plenty of such stones at her feet. She picked one up and began bashing the gates lock. She would use her powers, but obviously they wouldn't work in this world.

The Burning One approached, each foot fall sounded like a massive creature was slowly coming towards them. It was right near them, she could feel the heat from it. It could reach out and touch them, but it stood there, like it was waiting for something. It had eyes only for Kasey and as Raven bashed at the lock with the rock she saw its eyes and mouth were sewn shut. It reached out, but made no attempt to grab them, it just stood there as if waiting for a gesture. But Kasey just shrank from it.

"No, No, keep it away, please! Keep the monster away from me!" Raven really wanted to bash this rock into his head now! Yet, despite sounding like a total coward Kasey was actually standing firm between Raven and the Burning One as if shielding her from it over himself.

Suddenly the lock snapped as she pulled it free and the steel gate swung open. Raven grabbed Kasey and dragged him down a flight of stairs towards stone doors which pushed open into the crypt, they didn't bother to look at what was inside. They both took a door each and pushed them both shut and they both slammed closed with a clang.

They were in total darkness.

They sat in the darkness as the Burning One came down the stairs. The glow from its body pushing beams of light through the stone doors. But it didn't seem to be able to break through this barrier, in fact it didn't even try.

Raven placed her hand and ear close to the door. This was weird. Despite being stone on the outside, inside it was made of metal. Cold metal? Her knee shifted and she jumped when the bare skin touched the floor and it was freezing cold metal as well.

What little light spilt into this cold room illuminated just enough to make out basic shapes. This was no crypt. They were in some kind of room. Hexagonal in shape, a big, black pipe circled the bottom of the walls which were covered in roundels all around the walls and in the centre was a mushroom shaped console with a glass shaft rising up into the ceiling with crystals within. This was something else she noticed. This place was far too large to be in a space so small.

"This is a TARDIS!" Raven exclaimed. They'd found another TARDIS?!

Kasey turned to look and he instantly retreated on his back towards a corner, that same look of horror on his face as he had when he entered her TARDIS. Something slotted into Raven's mind. It wasn't the Doctors TARDIS Kasey found so disturbing, it was 'a' TARDIS, this TARDIS and it obviously it represented something traumatic for him.

Raven got up, went over to the console and tried to hit all kinds of switches and dials, hoping to take off, or at least get the lights on. But there seemed to be no power, no drive, it was a dead TARDIS, a corpse. She hammered on it trying to make it go, but as she did a section seemed like it slid out of place and fell to the floor, smashing to dust. On closer inspection this entire TARDIS was like that. There were hairline cracks everywhere, even in the Time Rotor as if the machine was about to shatter into a million pieces.

What could this mean? Raven held her head as she tried reasoning this all out. Maybe the planet wasn't playing with them, maybe the Doctor had it wrong all along. But then what was the answer?

Raven rested her hands on the console and suddenly it felt like something dived into her mind. She was now seeing through eyes that were not her own. She got an image of this TARDIS, when it was alive. The hands of the man she was seeing through were racing over the console trying to keep the ship stable. The place shook violently, roundels were being blasted out of their homes in the walls. Sparks erupted everywhere, cables were bursting out. This was this TARDIS's death throws?

Raven caught a glimpse of who's eyes she was looking out of in the Time Rotor. A balled headed man in the body armour of a soldier. It was Sechi! Was this his ship? Was Sechi a Time Lord?

Suddenly there was a blinding flash as the console blew up while Sechi stood facing it. She felt Sechi being forced backwards by the blast, luckily out through the doors of his machine and out into open air. He was falling through a night sky, clouds racing past him as he fell. His hands reached up as if to grab and drag his ship back to him, but it erupted and blasted itself to pieces in a massive bang. Raven felt this machine scream as its life ended in an instant.

Still falling Raven then noticed Sechi's hands. They were glowing like they were producing their own light from an unknown source, energy flowing out from his sleeves. The same energy came from around his collar.

An explosion! That's only how Raven could describe it as. An explosion and it felt like massive amounts of energy were escaping her. It felt like she was crumbling to dust, allowing something inside to come out. She felt her form begin to crush down, the muscly bulk deflating, the fingers became longer and hair sprouted from the temple and face. The face, it felt like it was being bashed in on all sides as it reformed itself. The mind, it felt like it was being ripped apart and disintegrating, and it refused to reform.

The blast ended and Raven felt the clothes Sechi was in, they were far too big now and still she fell, tumbling through the air now and she woke up with a start as she hit the water.

Raven wrenched back from the console, back into reality.

That was Sechi at the controls of this ship. She'd just seen a vision inside his TARDIS, it had blown up, he was forced from it and while falling into the sea he must've regenerated. But then where was he now?

Raven felt her eyes grow wide, a coldness spread through her at the realisation that the answer was staring her in the face this whole time. Sechi was in here with her, they were all in here with her.

Slowly she turned to Kasey, curled up on the floor trying to make himself as small as possible. Understanding dawning on Raven as all the pieces fitted together almost perfectly.

"Kasey..." she said, "are you a Time Lord?"

He sniffed, and raised his head to look at her. "A what? I don't know what one is."

Raven had neither the time, nor patience for this.

"Get up!" Raven commanded, she was not in the mood to deal with his depression right now.

Kasey stood up and she reached out and took his wrist to feel for a double pulse. But the bandage over his arms. They were really stained with blood now!

Kasey snatched his wrists back and covered them over trying to hide something. Raven got over the shock of the discovery quickly and instead pushed him into the wall and held him there while she placed her head to his chest and listened to his heart beat.

Thud, thud, thud, thud, a pause. Thud, thud, thud, thud, another pause. Thud, thud, thud, thud. A rythem of four, two on each side. The heartbeat of a Time Lord.

Raven pulled her head away. "This TARDIS is yours, isn't it." It was a statement, not a question.

Kasey shook his head, tears in his eyes. "I don't know what you mean..."

"BULLSHIT!" Raven slammed her fist into the wall, and he tried to shrink further away into it. "A Time Lord and a TARDIS, here together, and it's not yours?"

"I'm not a Time Lord." Kasey said shaking his head. He seemed very sure of that, like he was convinced of it.

Taking a deep breath Raven moved away and rubbed her fingers against her temples as she put the pieces together.

They weren't in the real world at all. They must be in a mind-scape. Kasey's mind-scape. Like when she was in the Doctors mind-scape a world had been generated, this was the world inside Kasey's head.

It was the 7th day about to move to the 8th. There were six others here, which must mean... Those other six people were his previous incarnations! Those mummies, they were supposed to be Gallifreyan Folklore, but the Doctor said they weren't mummies, so what were they? What if they represented the spectre of death which took each of the incarnations?

"I'm not a Time Lord!" Kasey insisted, more to himself, "I'm not!"

Ravens fists clenched and she grabbed Kasey by the collar and forced him towards the console.

"Look at it!" Raven insisted, almost pushing his face into the Time Rotor. "This thing is yours, you are a Time Lord, whether you want to be or not. WAKE UP!"

Kasey put his hands on the console to brace himself and push him away. But his body went rigid and he stared into space as if he was now receiving a vision.

Raven stepped away, his eyes were twitching as if something flooded back into his mind.

Suddenly ghostly figures were appearing around them. Each with a unique attire which shifted with each of them.

Kaster, clutching his chest and falling to the floor. A glow enveloped him and he became Dosrian. Dosrian then racing around the console, fighting to maintain control of his ship. A panel on the console he was near exploded and he was impaled by a piece of metal. He stumbled from his TARDIS, beyond the door but Raven could still see the ghostly image through the wall. His body exploded with energy and he became a younger version of Tribus.

Tribus fell from the ceiling, now in his older form and smacked into the floor. He writhed in pain as he slowly died, then his form morphed to become Franky.

Franky now held onto himself as if he was in great pain, like some power he was trying to contain was bursting its way out of him. Red flames burst from his body. He fell to his knees and regenerated. Fiver wasn't a small boy at all, he was a young man in his twenties with long, spiky hair. Fiver didn't look all that different as he clutched his stomach, he went pale and looked like he was dying. He didn't look all that older than he did when he was 'born', meaning the boy thing was a metaphor. For some reason he'd died young compared to the others. Probably as a result of that energy that killed Frank. A blinding flash and he was Sechi. Sechi falling through the air, exploding and from there Kasey was born and was baptised by being slammed into the sea.

Now Kasey, sitting down, presumably in his car, a fairly blank, cold, dead expression on his face. He was clearly in a great deal of distress, and yet totally calm about it as from his jacket he pulled out a knife and rested one arm across his knee. Then the visions ended.

Kasey stepped back, his eyes burnt with some horror of full understanding. As she watched she saw his arms start to glow. The same glow she'd seem coming from Sechi's arms. It all made sense now.

Kasey pushed himself back into the wall. He was trembling as he slid down it, curling up. He was a lot calmer now, but his expression was one of a man who'd given up on everything. "I've died so many times..." Kasey murmured and he pulled his hat down over his face "...so many lives... and I still feel empty."

Raven froze, that image of him, curled up on the floor, his hat casting his eyes in shadow. Despite his stupid clothes the image was like looking in a mirror again. This suddenly hit home. Kaster, Dosrian, Tribus, Frank, Fiver, Sechi. The people she interacted with, they weren't dead, they were here in this room with her. Same soul with a different shell and personality. The wise Kaster, the playful Dosrian, the arrogant Tribus, the creepy Frank, the irritating Fiver, the manipulative Sechi. She was looking at all of them. Six people expressed through one individual.

In fact, the names Dosrian, Tribus, Frank or Quattoreto -she guessed that was his real name-, Fiver, Sechi. Or Dos, Tri, Quat, Five, Sechi, they were numbers in different languages and they meant, two, three, four, five, six! Kaster, Kasey... Real name 'Kasterborous,' both contractions of the same name. Both the first and the current.

Now the clock wanted to strike midnight, because the eighth was coming. If this place was Kasey's mind-scape, and it was falling apart. It could only mean one thing.

It was his turn to become dust.

But for some reason, Kasey was denying the change.

The short man sat, he wasn't stressed anymore he just looked like he'd given up on something.

Raven knelt down in front of him and lowered her voice to get him to understand.

"Kasey, you're dying. It's your time to move on. You need to regenerate. That's what that thing is out there. It's 'you'. It's you're next form. It's nothing to be scared of. I've just felt what it feels like, it's like being born again." She lied, it was like being burnt alive.

Kasey swallowed and just said in a small whisper. "I refuse."

"What?" Raven asked.

"I refuse, I don't want to regenerate. I don't want to come back." Tears were slowly welling in his eyes, she could tell despite the brim of the hat covering them. "I'm tired..." he said in a flat tone "I'm tired of all of it."

With his arms crossed over his knees Raven could see blood-stained bandages again. More understanding dawned on her and she began to feel cold. He didn't resist as she gently took his arms, untied the knot in the fabric and unrolled the bandages. They were sticky with blood as she peeled them away. Her face fell when her suspicion was confirmed.

There were two, deep long gashes going across his wrists, deep enough to cause massive, fatal bleeding. These weren't caused by any accident, as he had claimed, these wounds were clearly self-inflicted. Raven looked up at Kasey's half-hidden face, most of it covered by his hat.

"Why?" She asked, her tone changing again. Was it concern?

"I... I don't know." He said.

"What do you mean, 'you don't know'?" Raven said aghast, she stood there, almost accusingly. A few seconds of silence as Kasey composed himself.

Raven looked down at Kasey's wrists, she still had his hands in hers. Gently she clasped his wrists in her hands and prepared to say an incantation to heal the wounds. But amazingly Kasey pulled his wrists away from her.

"No." He insisted. "I just can't go on anymore. I'm done. My number is up. I've lost all will to live."

Raven was just shocked to hear this. He'd seemed so bouncy and happy before. "Kasey..."

"No." He said firmly, "whenever I open up I always get hurt. The moment I think I've found someone who understands my pain, I speak, I open up. But they don't want to understand. They stab me through my hearts and cast me to the floor."

Raven didn't know what to say. What should she say? What could she say? She'd never met someone who wanted to take their own life before. She could barely talk herself back, how was she going to bring another back?

"I'm going to die in here, Kasey." Raven reminded him, hoping to use that thread to force him to regenerate. But Kasey had a way out.

He sighed deeply. "I don't want anyone's death on my conscience. My brain brought you here, you have no reason to go down with the ship." He pulled out his pocket watch and looked at the time. He pocketed it again. "There's not much time left." He held up his hand and a portal formed behind Raven. A shimmering gateway. Beyond which was her TARDIS. The Doctor was running around the console, fighting whatever was pushing the TARDIS away.

"I release you." Kasey said, curling up into more of a ball. "Now leave."

* * *

 _Freedom!_ Her mind shouted. All she had to do was walk through that portal and she'd be out of this madness and back safe at home in the TARDIS.

Raven turned back to Kasey and took a step towards him. She wanted to comfort him somehow, but she didn't know what to do nor say. She feared making it even worse.

"Leave me alone..." He said quietly. He was so calm and centred now it was creeping her out. "Let me die in peace."

Slowly Raven turned away and she approached the portal. But as she did she began to feel hollow. Raven turned and looked back at the broken Time Lord behind her, he wasn't watching her. His hat was pulled over his eyes and he was curled up waiting for the end to claim him in this cold, quiet, dead place.

Raven hesitated at the portal. The Doctor frantically trying to save Raven and all she had to do was take a single step. But something was stopping her. Her body refused to move and take that one step out of here, and leave... and leave Kasey to die.

 _Just leave him. He wants to die, its none of my business, just leave him to it._ Her mind was telling her, but again her mind told her to do one thing, but some part of her told her to act otherwise.

What was wrong with her?

This was like when she tried to kill that baby and her body refused to do the deed. Why did she have to be so human? Why did the universe have to screw her over like this? This was all the Doctors fault, he was slowly turning her more human! Or was she always like this? and she just never had a chance to test her own character?

She was already dealing with her own emotional turmoil, her own negative thoughts of destroying herself; the last thing she needed right now was to take on someone else's baggage while she was still sorting out her own. She hated Kasey for this. She so wanted to accept the excuse that she had her own problems to deal with and that it was his fault for reaching out, finding the wrong people and then being as vague as possible.

 _He's going to die._ Another part of her reminded her.

 _I KNOW!_ She screamed at it. _What am I supposed to do?!_

She turned her head, rage present in her eyes ready to talk some sense into this idiot.

This was probably a cry for attention of some kind, he wasn't serious. He was just lonely and this was all an act to get her to come back... But why release her? Why give her this option? Why tell her to go away? Why wasn't he making a sound to remind her he was still there?

No, this wasn't a cry for attention, and looking at the image of him, sitting quietly on the floor at the wall, hat down over his eyes. It just made her rage melt away. He clearly wasn't doing this to inconvenience or manipulate her, how could she possibly think that?

His mind had called out for help, sending an S.O.S. through the ether. They happened to be the closest people able to respond to him, they came in good faith and she was about to abandon him just because she didn't feel she was capable of empathising with another. He wasn't immature for crying for help, but now she felt immature for wanting to ignore it, especially after she agreed to help. She guessed in a sense Raven cried for help somehow when she tried to step out into the Time Vortex, but the Doctor had stopped her, despite his own turmoil. Kasey clearly had no one to stop him, no one who cared, or even noticed he'd be gone.

She never realised how immature she felt as her mind tried to come up with an excuse, any excuse, from, "He's play acting," to, "I've got problems of my own." Just to find any excuse to abandon him to die and preserve her own life and emotional peace of mind. At this moment she actually felt like the monster she was born to be.

"No." She told herself firmly, to every part of her that wanted to take a step forwards; she made it clear. "No." Her mind shut up instantly.

Turning away from the portal Raven walked back up to Kasey, her mind now focused on trying to talk this little idiot out of this. She knelt down in front of him.

"Leave me alone." He said. Raven reached out and gently gripped the tips of his fingers as they rested on his knees. "You'll die if you don't go, now."

"No." She said very firmly to him. "I can't just leave you to die. I already agreed to help." She paused and thought about her words.

"Go... a... way..." Kasey said slowly and firmly, and further curled up to close himself off and pulled his fingers out of Ravens grasp. When Raven didn't move he added. "Can't you see I want this? I want to die."

Raven swallowed, she was unsure what to do. Her darker side was screaming at her to _'stop playing the human, you will only embarrass yourself.'_

 _SHUT UP!_ She commanded.

"Go away!" Kasey repeated. He looked up into her defiant eyes. She crossed her arms to further show that defiance. "GO AWAY!" Kasey screamed as he leapt up. Raven took a step back in shock as he grabbed her, spun her around and began forcing her towards the portal. "Get out of my head. Leave me alone!" Raven resisted, she twisted and fought his firm grip on her arms. "I want to die, that is my own business. GET OUT!"

Raven took this little hobo and held him in the air by her powers. With a flick of her hand he flew back into the wall and she held him there.

"You're stressed and you're depressed, so I will forgive you handling me like this." She let him go and he dropped to the floor. "But I'm not leaving." Kasey looked ashamed of how he'd reacted, he curled up onto the floor defiantly himself and pulled his hat down over his eyes like a sulking little kid. Raven sat down, crossed legged in front of him and waited, and waited, and waited. "I'm not going anywhere until you tell me why." Raven insisted, her voice calm and... dare she describe it as... 'caring'. She sat there in defiance. "I won't judge, I won't hate you, and I won't hurt you. I promise."

"You'll just tell me I'm being silly." Kasey sighed with an irrigated edge, "That I need to 'grow up'."

 _Don't say_ _that!_ Her mind insisted, because she was prepared to say stuff like that.

"I won't." She said, and quickly told her brain to shut it, because those were precisely the words they wanted her to speak. She took his hand and looped her small finger around his. "I promise, I won't."

Kaseys legs folded further into himself and his hands ran over his face. He swallowed, accepting Raven wasn't going to leave him alone. She could sense the potential guilt of her death on his hands weighed heavily in his heart, but at the same time his mind wanted to firmly aim downwards into oblivion.

"My death is the only thing I have any control over." He said, and then stopped briefly before continuing. "Everything in life can just so cruelly be taken away, and all by people who'll wear a friendly mask." There was more to it, but Raven didn't interrupt. He'd speak when he was ready. "Everyone just seems to hate me; and I don't know why." Raven had an idea why though. Something in his manner rang false. It made him a little creepy, as if he wasn't a real person.

"I'm a failure as a Time Lord, and I fail at just being a human." He wasn't looking at her. His eyes were still hidden by the hat. Raven respected and didn't demand he look at her.

"What makes you say that?" Raven asked.

"I'm a monster." He said at last. "I remember everything, and I wish I didn't. It just makes me feel all the more like a failure." Raven didn't rush him, she let him ramble a little. "I remember before, when I first left Gallifrey to study the universe and help add to the sum total of Time Lord knowledge. I'd looked forward to it. But I fast found out that people hated the Time Lords, with a burning passion. We weren't seen as guardians of the Web of Time, we were monsters and tyrants. You can imagine, life was pretty uncomfortable for me. People were so angry, and a lot of them demanded I paid the price for the crimes of my people. Crimes I didn't commit, crimes I wouldn't even commit. Crimes other, more powerful members of my species committed. It didn't matter that I didn't do them, I was the closest thing to a punching bag they had."

"You're not responsible for your people's crimes, Kasey." Raven said softly, "People who think that are just assholes."

"I know that, but it still hurts. My previous selves never cared, they could walk on through and not care what people thought of them. I sometimes wish I was them again..." He paused, he began to cry and he held himself even tighter. "Then there was a War. While in my sixth body, the man called Sechi I was trained to use the rage inside of me. It burst free." He curled up more into a ball. "I became capable of the most horrific things imaginable. I... I... I killed people, I even justified their deaths, I'd snapped. I wasn't useful for my creative and ordered mind, I became useful as burning fire of anger. I kept telling myself 'it was for the War effort'. I decided I was hateful anyway, people already hated me, so I was conditioned to think what I was doing was an act of vengeance. I wanted to be hated, I just deserved to be hated. Everybody instinctively knew it. But why was a mystery to me."

 _Oh shit!_ Raven thought. Kasey's words echoed in her soul and she had nothing but sympathy for him. Okay, she felt a little horrified that he admitted to murder; but Kasey had become the thing Raven feared she would, one day. A true monster.

"I became the perfect soldier to fight in war. But still, life was empty, and one day I realised what I had been shaped into, and I couldn't take it anymore. I planned to ram my Time Capsule into an enemy planet. Allowing my ship to land with its true weight, destroying the planet, but it'd also destroy my ship and me with it." He sighed. "But something happened. I was attacked, I don't know who by, and my ship was knocked off course. My glorious death prevented. To protect me the ship ejected me and dumped me onto the nearest, safe planet; and as I fell..."

He held up his arms to indicate himself. "I woke up, no idea who I was, nor where I came from." Raven guessed with the weight of what was on his mind it must've refused to reform because it knew what it had done. "But all I knew is that I wanted to be liked. I wanted to help people, make them smile, to entertain. While I figured out who I was I realised I was good at guitar and people enjoyed me playing it. I learnt how to sing a little. I fixed that old car I found, and I travelled the Earth like a musical tramp with the intention of bringing joy to peoples lives. Maybe, I wanted to make up for what my previous self did." He laughed. "God I was stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid." He smacked his head repeatedly as he said each word. Raven had to physically restrain him.

"Do you know why I wanted that specific car? Everyone smiled when they saw it. Ironic, because it was commissioned by evil, mad-men; born in difficult times, but became a symbol of peace and love, all despite the heritage it spawned from." He laughed. "I saw 'me' in that car, it was all smiles despite its faults."

 _Yeah, it certainly had its faults._ Raven thought, remembering the bumpy ride and the loud clatter of its engine. She'd rather take the wheeze of the TARDIS over that racket.

Kasey was now looking at his hands.

"I didn't age." He said, "I didn't know I wasn't human. So I didn't understand why my body didn't age as fast as it should. After spending twenty years on Earth I still looked as fresh as the day I woke up. Everyone around me was withering and dying, and here I stood like an un-aging statue." Raven couldn't really understand this concern, but then again she'd never really had any friends she'd want to grow old with.

"I thought you said you didn't have friends?" Raven asked.

"It's still distressing!" He sobbed. "Even if I found friends, companions, I imagined I'd have to suffer the painful reality of watching them die, while I carried on."

 _Does the Doctor ever think this?_ Raven considered.

"The people of the universe are also so terribly horrid and hollow." Kasey now said. "I had been considering ending myself for a long time. I met people who stood and professed 'suicide awareness', I knew them, but when I went to them with my problems they didn't want to know about them. I never understood why. I thought they just found me irritating that they'd prefer me to die."

"Perhaps you should've found people you didn't know to talk to." Raven said, "Some people are two-faced. Take my word for it. They'll preach tolerance, acceptance and peace. But when it comes down to it, it's all an act. It's part of their 'social image,' nothing more." Raven thought back to when some of the younger Monks on Azarath would bully her. What hurt about it was that not all of it was done out of malice or hate. Some of it was just done so they could boast to people that they hated Trigon so much that they 'bravely' attacked his daughter despite the wrath they might receive from the demon. But they never stopped to consider what damage it was doing to Raven herself. They didn't care, they just wanted to boast about how 'in-tune with the group' they were. "Some people who appear the most good, are in fact the most selfishly evil." She concluded.

"I began to get big on the music festival scene. I'd thought I'd found friends, I thought I was cool with the organisers, I began to finally get comfortable in my own skin and life wasn't that bad for me. But over time there was an undercurrent of something I didn't like." His eyes began to fill with tears. "I should've listened to my gut, because they..." tears began racing down his eyes. "They stuck a knife in me, so deep into my back, and I don't know why.

"Earlier today in the real world, I was playing at a local music festival. I could feel the undertones of something wrong from the organisers, but I couldn't fathom what it was. I tried asking if we were still cool, I tried to apologise if I'd accidentally caused offence. But I just got the cold shoulder. I still don't know what I did to piss them off so much. But it was enough...

"While practicing by my car I must've looked sad or something because a young girl, much like yourself, showed sympathy to me. I broke down, thinking after all those years I'd finally found someone who I thought understood me. We hugged. It was nice. There was nothing underhanded in it. Just an exchange of emotions." Kasey swallowed, and his head lowered again. "The organisers... 'asked me to leave', because they said I'd forced myself on the girl. I couldn't get them to see reason, nor understand. They didn't care. The reputation of their festival meant more to them than understanding my plight. I hadn't been accused, or anything, I didn't have a reputation for such behavior, I never even talked to girls, I kept myself to myself. I thought about it afterwards and the only conclusion I could come to was that they always intended to kick me out and just wanted a convenient excuse, any excuse. Now they had one." He began to sob uncontrollably.

"The guys were well connected and said they were going to make sure I never played at any festivals again, they told everyone horrific things about me. None of them were true, but no one would listen to me. I was the 'weird one' people prefer never showed up at all." Tears ran down Kasey's face, he'd clearly been thinking all this for a long time because it all spilled out of him so quickly. "Music is my whole life now. The one thing which kept me here, and it was tarnished. No matter how good of a player I was, anything I played was now tarnished. Every tune I played reminded me of the blade stuck in my back. I loved all my friends at the festivals, I thought they were all lovely people. I didn't realise my friendship was so fickle to them."

"Why didn't you find the girl to tell them?" Raven asked.

"Because I couldn't find her afterwards. Even if I did, I doubt they'd even listen. Over the years I noticed their attitude towards me was gradually shifting, becoming more cold. I didn't know if I did something wrong in the past, and they wouldn't tell me so I could make it right. It just kept getting worse and worse. Sometimes I thought they enjoyed me squirming, trying to figure out what I was doing wrong. I was their stress ball, and when they felt stressed they'd do something to give me a tight squeeze." He sobbed a little. "And they just didn't care what it was doing to me. They told everyone else the lies too. Other musicians who I was friends with, and they stopped inviting me to gigs they were a part of too. The social circle I'd built, the people I thought were my friends dropped me at the command of the organiser." Kasey but his hands to his eyes and he cried. "And I don't know why!" He broke down. "They broke my hearts."

"As I said, some demons hide behind a good image." Raven said, "Believe me, I know."

"But who'd believe me? The organisers were big in the music festival business. If they claimed I was a bad actor, then all the small venues would believe them and not invite me, just in case." Kasey swallowed. "When news comes out about my death I just know they'll read the papers and say 'Oh, I'm glad he's dead, I heard he was a wrong'un. He deserved to die.'"

Raven swallowed and her eyes started to become moist. She tried to fight them back, but it wasn't easy.

"Don't let them win." Raven finally exploded. "Don't let them have that satisfaction. They're gullible idiots. If your friendship with them was so fragile, if their careers meant so much to them that they'd stand and watch you get pushed under the bus then 'they' are the awful people. Not you."

"I don't care anymore." Kasey said, "I don't have the strength to try again. I'm tired of constantly falling apart, I'm tired of feeling this way. I don't care if 'they win', as far as I'm concerned, if I'm dead they can't hurt me anymore, so actually, I win. I just want peace."

Kasey understood. Raven understood everything having felt it herself. But Raven hesitated about opening up. Should she? Should she show that she understood, or would that come across as invalidating his pain?

"I..." She thought for a second, "What if... What if I told you, I completely understand. I understand how people can voice their principles, but never uphold them. That some people are so concerned about their 'social image' they'd gladly destroy a person, demonise them, drag them down, kick them so they could climb on top. All just to make a statement of how 'good' they are." He was listening, she could tell. She shuffled a little closer and took the tips of his fingers as his hands rested on his knees. "I know, because I've been through something similar." She wasn't about to go into the details of it, she didn't know if she should. "Not long ago, I tried to step into the Space-Time Vortex."

"But that would've killed you." Kasey protested.

"I know..." Raven trailed off. Kasey's hat raised up, his interest peaked. "I'd finally had enough of it all. Where I come from, they present themselves as a morally good culture. But I learnt from an early age that was just an image they upheld. They'd never do such evil as destroy an entire civilisation. But they'll still gladly bully an individual. They thought I was a monster you see, purely because I was born to someone totally evil from outside the order. They made me into a symbol and a punching bag. With my powers I could easily kill all of them, they weren't aware of it, and at times I was so tempted to do so, to just give in. But I held back, I hurt them at times, but I never ended them." Her mouth shifted a little as her teeth ground together. They never congratulated her for holding back.

"But you escaped?" Kasey asked.

"I stowed away on the Doctors TARDIS." Raven said, "I intended to just live inside the ship. To whither and die within those walls. But... the Doctor can't keep out of trouble. I have to keep helping him. Only he can fly my home and keep it safe." Raven paused as her mind processed her feelings. "I... I... the Doctor didn't judge me. He treated me like a person. I was suspicious at first, and I waited for the moment he'd stab me in the back. But it never came. He was supportive, nurturing, but also firm and disciplinary with my behaviour when he thinks I deserve it." She swallowed, "He's like the father I've always wanted. But at times I don't think I deserve him in my life." Her voice began to crack and her eyes were welling up as she said. "He was the first person I met who didn't treat me like a monster."

She wiped her eyes before tears fell and she cleared her throat. "Just yesterday, I did something bad. I let the monster inside me take over. I hurt innocent people and destroyed our enemies." She looked away to avoid Kasey's gaze, despite his eyes still being hidden by the brim of his hat. "I thought I'd lost the Doctors favour. The only person to not think I was a monster, and I'd shown him I was. There were... other issues too, but I couldn't live with myself. I thought I'd never find someone as understanding as him. I accepted I was a monster and I opened a portal to the Time Vortex and I was going to step out."

"But you're young?!" Kasey protested.

"Does that matter?" She asked. "But before I could step out the Doctor found me and dragged me back. He refused to let me destroy myself. He still didn't see me as a monster, he saw a girl who was struggling in a Universe where I didn't fit nor belong. But he gave me the chance to do something right by the innocents I hurt, that was my only punishment." Raven's fingers began to clench and she stared into deep-space. "I wish he were my real father, I want him to be my father... so badly."

"You're hurting me." Kasey said.

"Huh? Oh, sorry." Raven had been crushing Kasey's fingers. Releasing him Kasey's then felt his left arm, which was still broken. Gently Raven took the arm in her hands and she allowed energy to flow from her into it to heal the bones.

"Why does he 'need' to be your real father?" Kasey asked. "A parent doesn't have to be biological."

Raven looked at her pale hands. "Because Trigon is something I can never get away from."

"But still. You treat each other like father and daughter, I almost assumed you were. You want a parental relationship with him, you already have it. Everything else is just titles."

Raven began to blush. When did this become about her?! She quickly finished healing the bones and removed her hands from him. Kasey tested his newly healed arm.

"Thank you." He muttered. Grateful, but quiet.

There was a rumbling quake from beyond this machine. His end was near.

"Kasey, I understand. You don't have to be lonely anymore." Raven hated herself for what she was about to suggest. "We'll come looking for you. We'll take you away from Earth."

"You don't want me to, though." Kasey put his finger right on it. Raven did not really want Kasey to come with them. The TARDIS was hers, the Doctor was hers. She didn't want to share.

 _Would it make it easier if you just saw him as another one of your toys?_ Her mind suggested.

 _Yeah, I little._

"I'm just a moody demon, who doesn't like to share her toys." Raven said. "But I'll gladly put up with the inconvenience if it means you live."

"Then you'll just be tolerating me." His hat lowered.

"Stop being an idiot!" She snapped but stopped herself. "Sorry, sorry." She started again. "I'm not used to the company of people. It took me weeks to get used to the Doctor. This will just be an adjustment period. But I promise we'll find you, I'll look for you myself if I have to. What have you got to lose? Just please, don't die. Please, regenerate."

"What about the people I killed?" Kasey asked, this was weighing heavily within him too and Raven didn't know how she could empathise with it.

"I didn't want to hurt the innocents I did. But... I don't know. I feel like if I kill myself I would always be guilty. If I live and try to do good in the world, real good, then maybe I can make up for my sins. I care nothing about my social image, only for what I feel is right. People can screw me over all they want, they can paint me as a demon all they want, I'll do what I think is right, and screw what anyone thinks of me." Raven said.

Kasey laughed a little. "I admire your tenacity." He said.

Raven was close, so close. She could feel it! "Kasey, do you want to make up for your sins? Or do you want to die as the person everyone will truly think, 'deserved to die'?"

Kasey looked up into Raven's eyes. His eyes were red and watery, full of so much hurt, all hidden by the shadow the brim of his hat cast. His fingers curled around hers. Raven just wished she understood what was going on in that head of his.

"Please, regenerate!"

"Alright." His voice cracked, he sounded skeptical but firm in his conviction. "I guess once more isn't going to kill me."

She did it?!

 _Oh my god, I did it!_

* * *

Kasey wasn't moving. His hat fell down across his eyes and his tense body became slack.

The ground trembled. Oh yeah, that's right. Kasey's mind was still dying!

"Kasey, if you're going to regenerate, now is the time to do it!"

Suddenly the walls of the time machine fell away. The glass roundels vanishing leaving them, the console and the large doors standing in a vast, black void.

The doors of the machine burst open and Raven shielded her eyes as a golden light poured in.

Stepping into the room was the Burning One, but he wasn't burning anymore. He was a mummy glowing a golden light of regeneration energy.

"The Watcher." Kasey sighed. "The Time Lords light at the end of the tunnel."

The Watcher slowly came forward and stood at the console and waited.

Kasey's head lifted so he was looking at the glowing creature.

"I'm ready." He said. He tried to stand up, but he collapsed. He was so weak. In fact, he looked totally dead now.

Raven stepped forward and helped him to his feet. She put an arm around her shoulders and hoisted him up, and slowly she helped him walk towards the Watcher.

"Take this." Kasey said, pushing his pocket watch into her hand. "You're able to take things out of my mind-scape. That watch represents a part of my soul, and you can use it to find me."

"I promise, we'll find you." Raven said.

"For what it's worth, you're not the monster you think you are."

"Neither are you. Both of us are just screwed up."

Kasey laughed. They were both broken people, but each had a way of hiding it. Kasey hid himself with smiles and a need to bring joy to the world. Raven hid behind a creepy, threatening and aggressive mask to stop people looking too closely at her.

When he was close enough Kasey removed his arm from around Raven and he stood facing the person he was destined to become. He looked at the figure up and down.

"Another man again?" He said to the Watcher. "I was hoping to see what a woman would've been like for a change. But, oh well, draw of the lottery."

 _Time Lords can change gender?_ Raven questioned, but only briefly. It wasn't the weirdest thing she'd seen or heard of.

Kasey looked at his hands. They were slowly crumbling to dust! He rubbed his fingers together and tiny grains were beginning to rain down. But then his skin began to glow golden, like the Watcher in front of him. Wisps of energy ebbed and flowed around him from under his clothes.

Kasey reached out, as did the Watcher, their fingers splayed. They laced their fingers together. The Watchers mouth and eyes burst open, a bright, golden light flood out. It looked as if Kasey was absorbing the Watcher into himself.

As this absorption happened several figures appeared from behind Raven, stepping around and in front of her.

They were Kasey, his sixth previous incarnations. But they were different from the people she'd seen. No longer cartoon caricatures of the mind, but real people. Fiver being the most drastic change. He wasn't a ten your old boy, but a man of about twenty five with long spiky hair. Franky, or Quattoreto had an intense look on his face Raven found creepily familiar to her own expression. Tribus had a look of a young, fatherly figure about him. Dosrian looked the same, and the frail Kaster an old man with so many holes still.

Sechi however looked less than happy at what was happening as Kasey's form began to glow brightly. It was starting.

The balled sixth incarnation turned to her, a look of fury on his face.

Kasey's back arched, and there was an explosion as energy erupted from his body. The heat was intense, it was so bright and so powerful.

Kasey was regenerating!

Slowly Sechi said to Raven. "You shouldn't have interfered." He insisted.

"Yeah, bite me." Raven bit back at him.

"He may want to regenerate. The others may want him to regenerate. But I don't!"

"You're outvoted six to one," Raven said to him, "so tough."

But then Sechi activated his laser sword and he held it aloft, "I will know peace!"

"NO!" Raven screamed, and tried to cast a spell to make him stop. But Sechi, the embodiment of Kasey's guilt, wouldn't be stopped as he lept forward and plunged the blade into Kasey's back, skewering him through his two hearts.

The glow came to a stop as Kasey looked in horror at the orange blade poking out of his chest.

Behind him, his other incarnations had flashed and all had become the Kasey incarnation. Including Sechi, who still held the blade at the real Kasey's back. His body fell limp to the floor.

Raven rushed over to Kasey's limp body. Maybe she could still trigger it, maybe should could do something! She held the Time Lord's body in her arms and tried to do something, anything to save him.

But it was too late.

He was gone...

Kasey had been stabbed in the back yet again.

The Sechi-Kasey looked ecstatically happy as each of his previous incarnations faded out of existence and the place became darker and colder.

"Finally," he smiled as he faded away, "I know peace!"

Kasey's body then exploded with light, and when the light faded Kasey's body was gone.

Raven found herself kneeling on a rug in the TARDIS control room, holding a body that was no longer there.

"Raven!" The Doctor said in relief. He moved to see if she was okay, but Raven wasn't listening.

She looked at the watch in her hand. The portion of Kasey's soul she could use to find him. She opened it and a spare guitar string uncoiled from within. Looking at the face, the watch's tab which told the day had rolled over to eight. But the watch had frozen again at a second past midnight; and the face was cracked, broken into several, large sections. Raven reached out to sense Kasey's life force within this watch. But it wasn't there. Just a numbness.

Kasey's self-loathing had won out in the end.

The lost Time Lord was dead...

* * *

"I'm sorry, but there is no such person." The Doctor said as he operated the TARDIS data bank. "There is no Time Lord who went by the name Kasterborous, Kaster, Dosrian, Tribus etcetera. Not in the past at least."

"But he was a Time Lord. I heard his hearts beat. I saw his TARDIS. His other selves!" Raven insisted.

The Doctor sighed. "It's possible he's from Gallifrey's future. Or maybe he was something else entirely."

"But we've got to find him! Can't that watch find him?" Kasey's watch lay on the TARDIS console. If she could just find his body then maybe she could work her magic and bring him back to life, force him to regenerate. She just needed to find his body.

"We're in orbit around the Earth, but we're not being drawn anywhere by the watch." The Doctor said, a tone of defeat in his voice like he already knew it was hopeless. "I scanned the Pennines for any trace of regeneration energy of any kind. Nothing capable of regeneration has regenerated in that area, in the past, present or future. Raven, I'm sorry. But we might have to accept the fact his regeneration... it failed."

"Look for him!" She insisted. The Doctor didn't move. "Find him! There must be something we can do?!"

"I could go back in time and put a trace on Kasey's car, so we can track it through time. Did you catch the registration number on his car?" The Doctor asked, the tone of his voice knowing full well she wouldn't remember it.

"No, I didn't think to." Raven gripped on the edges of the wooden TARDIS console as hopelessness began to flood her.

"Make? Model?" He asked.

"I don't know..." Raven said, her face falling to the floor. "He said it was conceived by evil mad-men, but it became a symbol of peace and love. It was bubble like, curvy, the front looked a little... like it was smiling." Above her head black energy formed itself into a rough image of what the car looked like.

"A Volkswagen beetle." The Doctor said. "One of the classic types." There was no life nor joy to his voice, just the low voice of mourning. "Twenty-one million of those cars were produced. Thousands are kept in England alone."

Raven clenched her fists and cracked her knuckles. She straightened herself up as she wrestled her feelings to the floor. He'd been betrayed by one part of him, one part which deliberately destroyed his own regeneration. Raven kind of understood the idea of some part of your mind deliberately sabotaging all your efforts. She turned away from the Doctor and looked at the watch.

"He's dead." She said flatly, almost robotically. "It doesn't matter. His death does not inconvenience me in the slightest. It doesn't. He found what he wanted, he has peace." Despite her saying this she had picked up Kasey's watch and she held it in her hands. It was now hidden under her cloak, but it was there, and she held onto it firmly in case she dropped it. "I..." she wanted to say 'I am pleased he's found peace in death,' but it just wouldn't come. "I... I... Wh.. Why does this hurt? I didn't know him."

The Doctor sighed. "Maybe you found some symbolism in him, a representation of yourself in another soul, you empathised with him." He shrugged as he operated the controls. "Maybe you're not half the monster you think you are. No monster would talk a soul back from the dead while the world crumbled around them."

"I only wanted him to come back because it'd make me feel good." Raven said flatly. "I didn't give any thought about him. I only cared about what I wanted."

"Now..." the Doctor said, his voice soft but firm and jokey, "...that is a barefaced lie, isn't it."

It was, but trying to detach herself made her feel better, making it sound like a selfish act put her back into the category of monster, where she belonged. She stood as still and expressionless as a statue. Her tongue rolled in her mouth and she swallowed before saying. "I want to go to the Pennines."

"Raven..."

"The Pennines, Doctor. Take me there." Her voice flat and lifeless, but firm enough to show the Doctor would not dissuade her.

It didn't take long.

Ka'Chud!

The TARDIS had landed and they both stepped out into the Pennines. A flat, yet very hilly area that was practically the spine of England. It was a clear day, the sun was shining and it was such a peaceful place.

The Pennines was such a vast and open place, looking for Kasey now would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

"You know." The Doctor said, "maybe he did regenerate. I can't know everything." She got the sense he was lying to her. "The blast you felt that forced you from his mind sounds like regeneration energy being released. I've pushed my luck with regeneration in the past, I honestly shouldn't be alive. I may not have pushed it as far as Kasey did, but there is still hope that he's out here. Wandering the Pennines in his new body."

"Don't give me false hope." Raven said, the Doctor didn't deny it this time. "Some people can't be saved, some don't want to be saved." She concluded. "To some it's just easier than living with the pain. Deep down, Kasey just didn't want to be saved."

"Very Stoic." The Doctor said. Then he quoted. "'Can you no longer see a road to freedom? It is right in front of you. You need only turn over your wrists.'"

That was dark and depressing. She loved it.

Raven thought back to when she met Kasey, he was so full of smiles, jokes and energy. It still kind of disturbed her that anyone could be contemplating such a dark act in the back of their heads.

Just before they stepped back into the TARDIS the Doctor froze at a noise on the air. A dull rumble in the distance.

"Do you hear that?" He asked. "Oh, the Universe can be very droll, at times."

"What?"

"It was an old beetle car Kasey had, right?" The Doctor asked. "Well, 'that' my dear, Raven" he said referring to the rumble noise, "is the unmistakable clatter of an air cooled engine."

They waited and watched as over the hill came a Volkswagen Beetle, with some kind of cloth sun roof which was rolled back. It wasn't Kasey's beetle, this one was a pale blue and in much better condition than his was. As it past music blared from it and four teens were sitting in the seats laughing and giggling. Some waving their arms out the windows and roof as they sped past. They were all clearly having fun as they sped through the hills.

Why were they having fun, spoiling her dark mood?! It felt like they were mocking her. _We're happy, you're not!_ Raven activated her powers, reached out with the intent on popping all the cars tyres for daring to have fun while she was still hurting.

But she stopped as she spotted Kasey's watch still gripped between her fingers. As the car receded into the distance Raven morbidly wondered if one of those laughing teens secretly contemplated killing themselves. What if her own dark, childish act started something that pushed one of them over the edge? Now that would be a truly monstrous thing to do.

She sighed heavily, her powers dropped and her hand fell limp to her side.

"Get me out of here." Was all she said as she stepped back inside the TARDIS. Under her closed cloak she was gripping Kasey's watch tightly, feeling some strange circular pattern on the back of the watch. Despite her brain telling her she didn't care anymore, she still held the watch tight. Whatever spark of hope there was in her heart had already been crushed. But still, she held the watch tight in case she dropped it.

* * *

Raven held the broken watch in her hand. Star Fire still sitting across from her, totally enthralled at her stories. From the Shaydes, to the Cybermen, to Vampires, to Kasey, she had listened to all of them with such an intense interest. But now at the conclusion of this one her voice was low, slow and full of sombreness. She was aware Raven had been deeply affected by that adventure, and at the heart break of not having any closure to it.

"Did you ever find out what happened to Kasterborous?" Star Fire asked, using his full name.

"No. I never saw him again." She placed the Watch back inside the box. "Sometimes we don't always get closure."

"But if he is on Earth, perhaps we can find him!" Star Fire said brightly. "You say he lives in the Land of Eng?"

"England." Raven corrected, "I've tried. But its like looking for a needle in a haystack." She laughed. "The Doctor was right, millions of those cars were built. I've seen dozens of them in the City alone, and they all sound alike." She sighed. "I've accepted I'll probably never know if he came back."

"Perhaps we are just early, and Kasterborous hasn't even crashed to Earth yet." Star Fire suggested, but Ravens face had gone blank. Star Fire looked at her with a knowing look that Raven had wrestled her emotions to the ground to stop feeling them.

"I'm sorry, Friend Raven." Star Fire frowned, "perhaps we should partake of the pudding of sadness."

"Yeah, lets not." Raven said flatly, all life she had in her voice while telling her stories was gone. Pudding of Sadness was something disgusting. Star Fire knew her customs weren't always compatible with Earths, and Raven didn't want to take part right now.

"Shall we end the stories for tonight?" Star Fire asked, sensing the change in Ravens mood. "Perhaps we can continue another time?"

"Yeah, maybe." Raven said. The box was still full of objects. A broken lap-top computer; some kind of rigid, plastic plunger; a shard of a mirror and a mass of other things. So many stories still left to tell.

Star Fire didn't say another word as she got up and left the room. She glanced back at Raven one final time before leaving her alone. Raven liked to be alone when she felt dead inside.

Now alone in the darkness Raven replaced the watch back into her trunk. It was a reminder to her that not everyone can be saved and some don't want to be saved at all. But since then she had learnt that she should still try, despite that. Everyone was worth trying to save.

She closed the trunk. The Gallifreyan symbol of the Time Lords present on the lid. She asked herself one question, the answer to which she was actually dreading. Why was this box sent to her?

She picked up the puppet of the Doctor she had in her lap the entire time as she told each tale and she held it in her hands. Out of earshot and sight of everyone Ravens eyes began to tear up, but none fell.

"Doctor, I miss you." She said, hugging the doll to her chest. "Why didn't you come back to me?" She dreaded the answer to that question too.

* * *

 **TO BE CONTINUED...?**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** Wow, 32 chapters. Thanks to everyone who've been reading what is becoming more an episodic story, and leaving all the lovely comments and reviews, you guys are awesome.

Hopefully the ending wasn't too much of a downer for everyone, I promise not to make future ones end so darkly. ;)

Tell me, did anyone guess the solution to this before the reveal? If so, when did you finally rumble it? ;)

Originally this story was supposed to be a pure fan fiction for Doctor 13, and was her dealing with coming into existence with her own, previous incarnations. But I re-tooled it so it worked in this story, because I think it works better in here.

I also toyed with the idea of making each of the people incarnations of the Doctor, hence why there were seven of them. But I felt it was too obvious what was going on. So I created a new Time Lord character, invented a setting and as I wrote I built up certain details such as his personalities, how they all fitted together, how they died and so on. Plus, it lead to an interesting dilemma where Raven then had to deal with someone elses' negativity as well as her own.

Kasey was actually based off the character Wander from the Disney cartoon show, Wander over Yonder; and the tragic character of Robin Williams, a man who was so full of smiles and jokes, but who chose to leave us. :(

As I wrote it, I realised they'd probably go find Kasey and maybe recruit him as a companion. But after thinking about that, I thought it'd derail what the crossover is about. Raven being in the Doctors world and interacting with him. With a third person I felt that would detract from it.

Cheers, I hope you all enjoy and continue to enjoy this ever-growing, long story.

Merry Christmas

-TimeLordParadox


	34. Bk 6 Chapter 33, the Keys to the Mind

**BOOK 6**

 **The Backwards World**

Plot:

The Doctor has been kidnapped and some strange woman is standing in his place proclaiming to be him. But Raven is not so easily fooled, after some 'persuasion' the Imposter is convinced to take Raven to where the Doctor is being held. But the place he's being held is the most bonkers place outside the universe.

So starts the biggest headache of Raven's life.

* * *

 **Chapter 33**

 **The Keys to the Mind**

The next morning Raven had woken with a start.

 _It's just a nightmare._ She told herself. _Just a nightmare._

She swallowed, but it had felt so real. She was probably just worrying too much about it. About why her old trunk from the TARDIS was sent to her. The Doctor was fine, surely.

But her dream. The Doctor had been in terrible danger and no matter how far she reached she couldn't help him this time.

 _Just a nightmare._ She told herself again. _The Doctor is fine._

 _But I'm not there to save him._

 _You weren't there before, and he survived nine hundred years._

 _Time Lords usually reach three thousand by their eighth incarnation._

 _Relax, the Doctor is fine. He is fine._

 _Yes, he is fine. Yes..._

Raven sat up, her window was tinted so it kept the place in deep, dark shadows, even in bright daylight. On her shelves she now had the novel Dracula among her books. The shrunken Police Box was on display now, and her puppet of the Doctor...

Was in her arms. She had been hugging it as she drifted to sleep like it was a comforting possession.

She guessed it was. This puppet represented the man who showed her so many things, and made her feel like an ordinary person. Anything she did that was odd he just took in his stride as if he'd seen it all before. He didn't get angry at her unless she deserved it, and unlike most people in her life up until that point he genuinely did care about her. He wanted her to grow both as a person and in power. He was the father she wanted, but she had to settle with him as just her friend.

Would the Doctor ever have been allowed to adopt her? Could Time Lords do that?

 _Shut up! It's just a fantasy._

 _I'm allowed to dream._

 _And that's all it'll ever be._

She hated when her mind did a reality check on her like this.

Pulling on her clothes, clothes she had not altered in the years since she'd found them on the TARDIS, she went to the Titan Towers main living area for breakfast and refreshment. She really wanted waffles today.

Weirdly, no one else was up at the moment. But she guessed that was to her benefit. She didn't want to interact with anyone right now. Everything she saw just conjured memories of her time with the Doctor.

The waffle iron, when she'd flipped out and nearly killed him, wow! She was immature back then.

In the fridge she found a half eaten cake, and she remembered a cafe in Venice, 1990, where the Doctor had ordered coffee and cake. But seemed to forget what money was when it came to pay the bill. He could be a total idiot at times. A smart man, but a total idiot. Thankfully Raven had come to the rescue with a quick adjustment to the owners minds so they forgot about the bill. Though the Doctor still insisted on paying for the coffee and cake because he said it was still stealing. So he performed a few magic tricks on the street to quickly raise funds, magic tricks that didn't need Raven to cheat for him this time. Raven had actually turned it into a game, and later gloated about how her own 'magic tricks' raised funds much faster than the Doctors 'penny behind the ear' trick. He'd looked away sheepishly, embarrassed and defeated, but pretended like he didn't care, but only pretended.

The mountain of stacked dishes in the sink. Raven never had to do dishes on the TARDIS, it was one of the many things she really did miss about it. But the stacks in front of her reminded her of the time they went to Castle Peladon for a state meal. She always thought she'd stood out of place before. At that party there were so many odd-looking aliens she actually felt normal for a change.

Not all of her adventures with the Doctor were life or death, or big, big catastrophes which needed fighting. Sometimes they were slow and relaxed.

Raven smiled at the next story she intended to tell Star Fire. It was an unusual one with lots of twists and turns. But as she thought on it, it was also full of heartbreak and sorrow. But it was a good story to tell, if she could figure out how to tell it.

As the day went on and she interacted with her other friends, Raven began to recognise characteristics of the Doctor in all of them. The joy and passion for life from Star Fire. The intensity and seriousness from Robin, an orphaned boy of great acrobatic and martial arts agility. The love of gadgets and all things mechanical, with a special focus on sonic technology, from Cyborg, a big man with dark skin who'd had an accident which resulted in half of his body being replaced by cybernetics. The passion for cracking jokes in bad situations, Beast Boy, a boy with the strange ability to morph his human body into all different kinds of living things, from animals, to dinosaurs, insects, even bacteria, and once even an actual alien. That must be why she warmed to them so fast, they made her feel comfortable because they reminded her of the Doctor, her first friend.

It was now late and Raven was hanging with Star Fire again. They walked back towards her room and Raven had decided how she was going to structure her next story.

"Friend Raven, I am giddy with excitement. My friend personally knows the living legend of the Doctor!" Star Fire must be a Doctor fangirl. Raven decided. To her the Doctor was just another person in her life, to Star Fire he was like a celebrity.

"I tried to surprise Friends Robin, Cyborg and Beast Boy with this knowledge. But they know not of the Doctor, like I do."

"You told them?!" Raven felt a little stab of betrayal.

"I thought they'd know of the Doctor, like on my planet and be amazed you knew of him." Star Fire's smile faded a little at the realisation she did wrong. "Did you not want me to say?"

"No. It's fine, I guess." Raven shrugged, if the Doctor was a celebrity then the last thing she wanted was the Doctors fans swarming over her too. Face it, she could barely stand her own fans.

"I apologise if I caused offence." Star Fire said sincerely.

"No." Raven said, trying to understand why she felt the way she did. "Just that... I thought the Doctor was special to me. I don't know how I feel knowing there are so many others who hold the Doctor in special regard too."

Raven had searched through the internet today for the Doctor and had found a group of people who were like trainspotters for the Doctor. They were based in London and called themselves LINDA. She really hated them, and for reasons she'll get to later. From that group she'd found there were so many sightings of the Doctor, in historical records, conspiracy theories, even ghost stories. Heck, one account was of her own adventure in Whitby with the Doctor and Stoker. They had dubbed her ghostly image she'd cast as 'the blue ghost of Whitby.'

But nothing on the website told how to contact him, or summon him.

Raven came to a stop and held out her hand, Star Fire behind her stopping dead too.

"What is it, Friend Raven?" Star Fire asked.

"There is something in my room." Raven said, her eyes like lasers looking at her door. She approached it and using her powers wrenched it open.

"YOU!" She shouted accusingly.

Inside was a small, green boy. He screamed in horror at the sight of her and he clumsily nearly dropped the item in his hands. Her Doctor Doll. He caught it before it smashed to the floor and Raven's eyes stared daggers at this boy as he caught it.

"Beast Boy!" Raven fumed through gritted teeth. "Put... that... down... now!"

Beast Boy motioned to put the puppet down.

"Gently!" Raven insisted, her voice taking on a nasty tone. "Unless you want your skin pulling inside out."

Gently Beast Boy did put the Doctor Doll down on Ravens bed and stepped away.

"Now get out!" Raven said entering the room with Star Fire behind her.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Beast Boy said, "I just wanted to hear more of the story."

Ravens head turned so quickly to look at him that Beast Boy screamed again. "What? How do you know?"

"Umm..." Beast Boy said, a guilty look on his face. He'd clearly not meant to say that. "I'm going now." But quickly Raven held his feet to the floor with her powers.

"You're not going anywhere. Until you explain what you meant!" Raven threatened.

"Friend Beast Boy," Star Fire said, "Perhaps you should just tell her. Raven won't hurt you, if you tell the truth."

"You speak for yourself." Raven said darkly, not taking her eyes off the green boy.

"Umm..." Beast Boy looked terrified. Then he looked over her shoulder and waved. "Look, Hi Robin!" Raven was momentarily distracted as she turned to spot Robin. But he was not there! When she turned back Beast Boy had used his own strange powers of transformation to turn his entire body into a shaggy dog, which now bounded for the open door hoping to escape before Raven realised what had happened.

Raven was on the mark though, and contracting ribbons of darkness began to form around the green dog. Beast Boy knew what was going to happen so in the next instant he'd turned into a frog and hopped through the dark ribbons, still making for the door. Star stepped out of the frog's path as Raven again grabbed it with her power. This time, binding his webbed feet together and again she began pulling him back. But again, he'd slipped out by turning into a fly and was now buzzing off.

"No you don't!" Raven said, calling the small Police Box of hers over to the fly. The doors opened and swallowed Beast Boy inside it, the doors closing. Raven then called the box into her hand and she peered into the clear windows at the fly buzzing around inside it.

She tipped the box up and as Beast Boy fell out she cast a spell that reverted him back to his human form and he slammed into the floor. Quickly, on all fours he tried to crawl from the room as fast as he could, his movements weirdly animalistic despite him not actually turning into another animal. He didn't get far before Raven dragged him back again with her powers, and she held him down to the floor and placed her foot on his chest.

"Okay, okay. I heard a weird noise in your room last night, a wheezing. I heard you telling a story and I wanted to listen. So I kind of snuck into your room and became a fly on the wall." Beast Boy had his arms raised to shield himself from Raven's wrath. "I just came back to listen to more stories. They were really cool."

"You went through my stuff." Raven accused in a low, intense hiss, "You DO NOT go through my stuff!" and she flung him out of the room and into the corridor with her power, the door slamming behind him.

"Raven, I just want to hear more stories!" Beast Boy pleaded. "Come on, what is your problem?"

Raven put the Police Box back on her shelf and checked to see if anything else had been disturbed by his grubby little hands. She did like Beast Boy in a goof-ball kind of way, and they were good friends, but he really got on her nerves at times.

Star Fire just stood and didn't interfere. She had learnt that Raven did like to mess with Beast Boy and see how he reacted. It was akin to her own relationship with the Doctor, where they'd mess with each other. Though with Beast Boy it wasn't on the same level, but still fun to do. Beast Boy at times acted more like an adorable little creature than he did a human, and Raven personally didn't know whether to regard Beast Boy as a friend, or as a pet.

Pet. Yeah that was more like it. Beast Boy was her pet in the same way the Doctor was her toy.

As Beastboy shouted Raven held up her fingers and began counting them down one at a time. Raven could sense Beast Boy leaning against the door fuming, it was set up so perfectly Raven just couldn't resist. When her last finger went down Raven used her powers to open it. The door slid aside and the goofy creature fell down to the floor in a heap of limbs. As he composed himself Raven had called two other trunks to float up to her bed and set them down.

"Come in!" Raven said to Beast Boy and she pointed at the box. "Sit down!" and Beast boy dropped onto the box and sat like a good little pet. He opened his mouth to speak. "And Shut up!" she said firmly to him, and Beast Boy mimed that he was zipping his own mouth closed. She got a feeling it wouldn't stay that way.

Star Fire took a seat on the other box as Raven opened her Gallifreyan trunk again and began fishing for another object.

"After Kasey we kind of wandered around for a while. We didn't find anything Earth shatteringly important. We just kind of went from place to place. We saw the collapse of the Jaga galaxy. 'A beautiful symphony of colours, sounds and psychic stimulation, that really make you feel the grinding engines of the universe at work.' Or as he'd described it to me." Raven shrugged, "It was okay." But a slight lopsided smile she couldn't hide betrayed the fact that she was in fact greatly awed by it.

"It was a week later when the next crisis for us came around." And she pulled out a busted laptop from the box. She opened it, the keys were damaged, the screen cracked. She ran her fingers over the screen, this thing clearly meant a lot to her in this next adventure.

"I'm going to call this story, 'The Keys to the Mind.' I've been thinking about how to start this one because it was a very strange adventure." She closed the box and set the laptop down on it. "But it all started when I woke up in my bedroom, and I heard my mother calling me downstairs to get ready for school..."

She was subtly amused at the confused looks Beast Boy and Star Fire gave her, and then each other. She was starting to like telling stories.

* * *

 **Cue the opening!**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** I've decided to add the other Titans into the 'modern' portions of this story. I'm going to add them one at a time instead of all at once because it feels more natural that way.


	35. Chapter 34, This is my Life?

**Chapter 34**

 **This is my Life?!**

"Rachel! It's time to get up!"

Rachel? Raven stirred in her bed. Who was Rachel? She was still half asleep.

Raven rolled over in her bed and tried to go back to sleep. But a sharp, BANG, BANG, BANG at her floor made her snap her eyes open. It sounded like someone was thumping something long and thin into the underside of her rooms floor.

"Rachel, you're going to be late for school!"

School?! Wait, where was she exactly?

Raven sat up in a bed, and she meant 'A' bed because this certainly wasn't hers. It was like hers, but subtly different. The room was decorated in a very goth and Victorian style. Statues of Ravens and dark and creepy looking things were everywhere.

She pulled the covers off herself and felt cold. Where were her clothes? What she usually slept in?! She was naked!

She covered herself back over and tried to think. She'd gone to sleep in the TARDIS and now woken up in a strange place. It looked like an ordinary room in a house. Day light streamed in through the window with drawn, black curtains, so she was convinced she wasn't onboard the TARDIS. It didn't even feel like the TARDIS, there was no background hum for example.

Raven spotted some clothes on the floor. She instantly recognised them as the clothes she'd worn when the Doctor took her to Whitby. She guessed they were hers and began to put them on. This time instead of a short leather jacket, she'd put on a blue hoodie, a similar colour to her cloak and even had a hood with the same kind of lip to it.

Now fully clothed she looked around the place.

The shelf had books from Edgar Allan Poe, to Bram Stoker. Good choices. But whoever lived here also had a fetish for Zombies and Vampires because half the books were about them.

She located a copy of the Twilight Saga, and instantly she decided to destroy it. She focused her powers on the book and... nothing happened?!

 _Oh great, not again._ Her powers weren't working yet again! Raven thought, rubbing her hands over her face. Something was missing! She felt her forehead again, it was totally smooth.

There was a mirror on her dresser and she looked at herself. Everything about her looked normal, she was still slim, pale grey skin, purple eyes that usually looked emotionless, and hair cut into the shape of a Ravens wings. But her jewel, the one indicating her powerful mind chakra, it was gone! Her forehead was totally smooth!

Did it fall out? She'd always assumed it was permanent? Fishing for it around the bed in desperation resulted in nothing but the covers crumpled up on the floor.

"Rachel, get down here right now!" came a womans voice from outside the room.

With caution Raven opened the door and stepped out into a hallway. Without her powers she was wary, and she was vulnerable. She tried to sense for the TARDIS, but the sore thumb void of a Police Box couldn't be sensed. In fact, she couldn't sense anything, at all. Not one thing!

Carefully she went down the stairs, taking them one at a time, and she emerged into a pleasant looking living room setting. Sun light poured in through the open windows making the place very welcoming.

Outside it was clearly summer. The grass was green, the sky blue, the sun warm and high in the sky. It was very welcoming.

"Rachel, come on and eat your breakfast!"

Rachel again? Was the voice talking to her? The voice did sound familiar, and as she turned and saw the woman her eyes grew wide.

"Mo... mother?" It was her mother! Her mother from Azarath?! How did she get here?

"What's wrong with you, Rachel?" her mother said. "Come on, quick. Or father won't take you to school."

"Father?" No, Trigon couldn't be here. Could he?

Warily Raven moved forwards and stepped into the kitchen. On the table was a steaming plate with waffles on them. She sat, and looking around she cut into the waffles and before eating them she smelt them to make sure they weren't going to kill her.

Her mother placed a cup of tea next to her and moved off to the sink to wash.

"Mo... mother?" Raven asked.

"Yes, Rachel?" Her mother asked sweetly, smiling. Her mother didn't smile! She did look like her mother, but she was a lot more peaceful and content than Raven remembered. Her mother was always very kind, but also very sad. This version was more like a busy house wife. It actually made Raven happy to see her mother look happier, but it also made Raven suspicious. What the heck was going on? What trouble has the Doctor landed her into this time?

"Where are we? Why aren't you on Azarath?" the woman who looked like her mother frowned and looked confused.

"Azarath? I don't know what you mean. Is that somewhere in Ireland?" Her mother asked, then she looked like she understood. "Oh, you mean that school we pulled you out of back in England? Why would I want to go back to that dreary place?"

Raven's eyebrow arched. "No, it's a temple in another dimension." Raven corrected.

"Oh, you read too many of those fantasy books." her mother said, "And they say TV rots your brains these days."

Okay, this wasn't her mother. It can't be! Could it?

Looking around like a wary animal Raven finished her breakfast and tea, and just sat there waiting for something to happen.

"Go up stairs and get your books together. Father will drive you to school."

Raven instantly stood up horror gripping her at the mention of her father.

"What's the matter with you?" Her mother asked. "Are you feeling okay?" and her mother came up to her and put her hands on her forehead. "You're not trying to play hookie are you?"

"Hookie?"

"Go upstairs and get your bag. I'll get you some medicine if you feel sick." and her mother moved away.

Slowly Raven backed out of this pleasant kitchen, back into the living room. She decided to obey and go upstairs for this 'bag'.

Back in the dark bedroom she found a bag slung into the corner. She guessed this was what mother meant.

Opening it she peered inside. A small collection of books, and a laptop of some kind. She dug everything out to take a look. English, maths, science. They were school books.

Taking the laptop out of the bag she set it down, opened it and switched it on desperate for some answers.

The laptop came to life and there were words in a text file on the screen that someone had been working on before closing down the laptop. Raven began to read them, hoping to find answers. But as she read more confusion clouded her mind.

What the hell was she reading. It sounded familiar.

* * *

 _Just before they stepped back into the TARDIS the Doctor froze at a noise on the air. A dull rumble in the distance._

 _"Do you hear that?" He asked. "Oh, the Universe can be very droll, at times."_

 _"What?"_

 _"It was an old beetle car Kasey had, right?" The Doctor asked. "Well, 'that' my dear, Raven" he said referring to the rumble noise, "is the unmistakable clatter of an air cooled engine."_

 _They waited and watched as over the hill came a Volkswagen Beetle, with some kind of cloth sun roof which was rolled back. It wasn't Kasey's beetle, this one was a pale blue and in much better condition than his was. As it past music blared from it and four teens were sitting in the seats laughing and giggling. Some waving their arms out the windows and roof as they sped past. They were all clearly having fun as they sped through the hills._

 _Why were they having fun, spoiling her dark mood?! It felt like they were mocking her. We're happy, you're not! Raven activated her powers, reached out with the intent on popping all the cars tyres for daring to have fun while she was still hurting._

 _But she stopped as she spotted Kasey's watch still gripped between her fingers. As the car receded into the distance Raven morbidly wondered if one of those laughing teens secretly contemplated killing themselves. What if her own dark, childish act started something that pushed one of them over the edge? Now that would be a truly monstrous thing to do._

 _She sighed heavily, her powers dropped and her hand fell limp to her side._

 _"Get me out of here." Was all she said as she stepped back inside the TARDIS. Under her closed cloak she was gripping Kasey's watch tightly, feeling some strange circular pattern on the back of the watch. Despite her brain telling her she didn't care anymore, she st_ ill held the watch tight. Whatever spark of hope there was in her heart had already been crushed. But still, she held the watch tight in case she dropped it.

 _To Be Continued..._

* * *

Raven instantly and sharply shut the laptop and stepped away from it.

That had been the last adventure she'd had with the Doctor, when Kasey, that suicidal Time Lord had slipped through her fingers. What mess had the Doctor gotten her into now?

Raven decided to pack everything away in her bag and play her part, for now.

"Rae-Rae!" a voice called up the stairs. It was the Doctor! He then said in a light hearted voice. "I'm going now, hurry up or you're walking to school."

School? Raven picked up her bag and went to the stairs and looked down at the man waiting at the door.

It was the Doctor alright, or it looked like him. Same face, hair, same smile. He was in a white shirt, a fastened green blazer with white trousers.

"What are you waiting for, Christmas? Come on, Raven." He called her Raven?

She took the stairs one at a time, not taking her eyes off this man. She wasn't buying this, whatever it was. It must be a trick of some kind... was it?

Ravens mother came into the hall and handed her a clear box with food in it, and she hugged her. Raven was being hugged? Mother broke off the hug and went to the Doctor, and she hugged and kissed him.

Raven thought she was going to be sick.

"Have a good day at work." she said.

"I always do."

Her mother turned back to Raven, but she was too stunned to move or speak.

"Hurry up or you'll make father late, Rachel." mother said, and the box of food slipped from Ravens hands and smashed to the floor. What did mother just say?!

"My Father?!" Raven looked at the Doctor, back to her mother and back to the Doctor. Okay, this was a trick of some kind, it had to be.

"Raven, are you feeling okay?" the Doctor asked. Mother rolled her eyes when the Doctor called her that name.

The Doctor came up and rested his hands on her shoulders and gently prompted her out the door. "Come on, daughter. I can't be late for work this time." and he steered her out the door, into the garden. They have a garden?! And towards a purple, bubble like car on the drive. It was similar to Kasey's and it was the same car the Doctor had in the TARDIS garage in pieces. What did he call it. An old 'beetle'? Looking back at the house she noticed the door was painted a dark blue, the same dark blue as the TARDIS.

The Doctor opened the door of the car and Raven gently climbed into the passenger side. The car was smaller on the inside, than the outside. The Doctor climbed into the drivers seat.

Raven looked out at the door and saw her mother waving happily at them as the Doctor fired up this cars engine. He waved happily to her mother, reversed off the drive and sped off down the road in this tin box. Raven just remained silent, breathing in very deeply, she felt like she was in terrible danger and her fight or flight response was activated. This couldn't be the Doctor, this couldn't be that old car of his, that couldn't have been her mother, that door was not the TARDIS.

"Are you feeling okay, Rae-Rae?" The Doctor asked her.

"I'm a little confused." Raven admitted. "You are my father?... my real biological father?" The Doctor looked confused and concerned.

"You're not trying to skive off school are you?" Skive? "Should I take you to hospital instead?"

"Just humour me, please." Raven asked. "You are my father?"

"I admit nine months before you were born, I did the dance with your mother, yes." Okay, too much information!

"A simple 'yes' would've done." Raven said.

"Yes, you're definitely my daughter." The Doctor said laughing, "You're like me. Very strange, indeed."

"Why do you talk like that? Like a man from England?" He was confused, but the Doctor answered her.

"Because its where I was born. It's where you were born too. We lived there for a few more months before mother decided she wanted to go back to the States."

"The United States of America?" Raven asked.

"Yes, and what a state it's in." The Doctor joked. Raven processed this before asking.

"Why do you call me Raven? Mother calls me Rachel?" The Doctor looked confused.

"I've called you that since you went all goth." The Doctor said. "You wanted to be called Raven, but mother wouldn't play along. Then it became little Rae- Rae, because I thought you looked adorable when you scowl."

 _I look adorable when I scowl?!_

"What's the TARDIS?"

"TARDIS?" He questioned, "Don't you mean CARDIS?" He didn't take his eyes off the road but could sense her confusion.

"CARDIS, it's what you called the jitter bug here when you were six." He said, patting the steering wheel. "Are you sure you don't want to go to hospital?"

"I think I need my ears syringing, everything just sounds so strange." Raven said putting a hand to her head.

"Who is Trigon?" she then asked.

"Oh, that's just a bogey man your mother tried to scare you into being good with." The Doctor sighed deeply, clearly he didn't approve of her mothers methods.

"What is Gallifrey? What is Azarath?"

"Gallifrey was the University I graduated from. Azarath is a school we tried to send you to, but you hated it."

"Why doesn't mother remember it?" Raven asked.

"Too many bad memories for her." The Doctor added mysteriously. "You were bullied there. Don't you remember? Probably for the best that you don't."

Raven needed some air, so she wound the window down and felt the cool breeze on her face, the fresh, warm, summer air. It felt too perfect. There must be a flaw somewhere in this illusion. It must be an illusion, right?

The car pulled up outside a large building called the School of Arcadia. Wasn't Arcadia a city on Gallifrey?

"Hurry now. Or you'll be late for lessons." The Doctor said and when Raven looked back at him he reached forward and embraced her in a hug, a loving hug one might give their own child.

Gingerly Raven reached around his back and gave him a hug too, playing her part.

"I love you, my little Rae-Rae." He said, Raven went rigid and felt her eyes start to mist up. "Aren't you going to say 'I love you too, father?'"

"I..." her voice croaked, a well of confused thoughts and emotions swirling around her. "I... I... I... love you too... far...farther... my... father... I love you, father..."

He released her, but she found it hard to release him, in fact she held him tighter as her brain tried to process what had just happened. "Rae-Rae, you're going to have to let me go at some point. I can't carry you into work like this." But she didn't want to let him go. She'd never felt this way before and she didn't want it to end. "Come on Rae-Rae, let go of me." He chuckled.

Raven then released him and he kissed her on the forehead, where her chakra should be. "Hurry now, learning awaits. And the University won't like me being late a second time."

Raven opened the car door and nearly fell out of it, she was overwhelmed by emotion. She shut the door and the car moved off, the Doctor... her father waving cheerily at her as the bubble car merged into traffic.

"I love you, dad." Raven whispered, and her eyes welled up. She was emotional, but her powers, nothing was happening. No bangs, no whooshes, no screams from people as power escaped her. There were no longer any consequences to feeling anything?

Slinging her bag over her back she gingerly walked up to the school. There were plenty of kids here, and she now felt uncomfortable again. Where was she? What was happening? Why didn't she remember anything before this that didn't sound like total fantasy?

As she thought about it, it was as if the answer was obvious. They were fantasies, what she remembered was all a fantasy. It had all been a fiction she'd written. She remembered, she was so unhappy at Azarath, being so far away from home that she began to express her unhappiness in writing.

She invented a character for herself, called Raven, and expressed her loneliness through her. While at Azarath, a boarding school in the middle of nowhere, she missed her father deeply. Everyone treated her badly making her think there was something wrong with her. They even called her all kinds of names and made her out to be a monster. She couldn't defend herself because they'd twist her words to make her sound like she said something else. The teachers didn't care, they just let the bullying happen because it was easier than trying to deal with it.

So when she created Raven it was to deal with her own conflict. She was a monster and a monster needed an evil parent. With her father absent she'd made her tragic character the daughter of the bogeyman Trigon.

Then when her father came to the school and saw how unhappy she was he instantly pulled her out. Practically hauling her cases onto the CARDIS himself and took her away from all that. That's when she created the Doctor, a man who could take Raven away in his magical machine. The TARDIS, hidden inside a Police Box.

Why a Police Box? She thought about it and it came to her. There was an old, abandoned Police Box outside the school, in the village. She'd acquired the key for it and whenever she felt emotional, whenever she broke down, whenever she needed to get away from the world she'd go inside, lock the door and emote all she wanted. It was within those safe walls she began to write her story with her own character, and she had named the story the 'Lost Child of Azarath' because it detailed how Raven was gradually healing after all the trauma.

Yes, yes, that was it. She was starting to remember. She had been writing a new chapter of the story last night that she had posted up on the internet. She had fans... she had fans who loved her writing and wanted to know what adventures the Doctor and Raven would go on next. Raven must've fallen asleep, still wondering where to take the story next, and when she woke up she was in Ravens mind, not her own.

"Rachel!" Said a voice and Raven found herself being hugged by a tall girl with long, red hair. Yes, she remembered this girl. It was Stella, it was her friend.

"Hurry, we need to get to class." Stella took her hand. "If you're late this time Mr. Vale will give you detention for sure."

Over in the corner were three others. A large man of a dark complexion, a boy with spiky hair, a smaller boy with a wide face and a goof-ball kind of manner to him. Victor, Richard and Garfield, respectfully. Her friends...? She had friends! And they were waiting for her despite her being late.

* * *

"Hey, that sounds like us! But... how the...?!"

"Beast Boy, what did I say about interrupting?!"

"Sorry..."

* * *

Rachel resisted Stella's pull for a second and motioned that she needed to use the bathroom.

"Be quick, we'll wait for you." and Rachel ducked in and went to the sink. She rested her hands on the edges and tried to breathe deeply. She filled the sink and splashed cold water onto her face trying to make her wake up. But she was still here in this world.

She looked into the mirror and saw herself, her forehead still jewel-less. Rachel was smiling. She swallowed. She had friends who stood by her, a loving father she actually loved back, a caring mother who was also happy, Trigon was just a made up bogeyman, she could feel emotions freely without consequences, and the darkness in her head... there was no darkness, her mind was clear, she was free.

 _I'm... I'm free?!_ She slowly realised as emotions flooded her brain. _I'm... free... I am free! I'M FREE!_

Water escaped her misting eyes and rolled down her cheek. She was crying. Actually, physically crying.

She'd never felt so happy!

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** Strap in, this is going to be a weird one. ;)

I know some people would say I should've used Bessie as the Doctors car. But there is a good reason why I can't. So I used the purple beetle that has featured in both the 8th Doctor books and audio stories.

From what I've read in some comics Raven's secret name for herself is Rachel Roth. Why? I don't know. What was wrong with 'Raven' exactly? But *shrugs* it works here. :P


	36. Chapter 35, The Impostor

**Chapter 35**

 **The Impostor**

Rachel followed her four friends to class. Stella practically leading her by the hand.

Rachel felt so happy, she felt so normal and she had friends, real friends, not make believe friends, actual, genuine friends. The four surrounded her as they walked. They didn't distance themselves, run away, or look at her in fear, suspicion or hatred. They actually liked her.

"Did you guys finish your English assignment paper?" the short one, Garfield said, fumbling with his bag and papers.

"You mean, reading of the book about 1984?" Stella asked. "The world changed so much in such a short time."

"1984 wasn't really like that. It was just a fiction." Victor said, "A warning about what could have been."

"Oh..." Garfield said, "A fiction, good."

Rachel rolled her eyes, she could tell he actually took it seriously. 1984, she had read the book before, about an authoritarian regime who had the whole world under surveillance. The truth constantly distorted or adjusted to keep people content and pacified either 'for their own good' or the 'good of the regime'. Their assignment had been to read it and discuss the themes of the book in a paper.

Rachel had already finished her paper. It was on her laptop. Clearly Garfield hadn't finished it.

"Hey Rachel, mind if I...?" Garfield started.

"No!" Rachel said firmly, "You're not copying mine."

"I don't want to copy, just read it!" The short boy exclaimed.

"No!" and the boy became silently angry. She liked annoying him, he looked really silly when he got angry. She smirked, he was almost like a silly cartoon character at times, it was the only trait that Raven liked about him. Everything else about him just irritated her. His ignorance, his childish ramblings, the fact he couldn't keep his hands away from her stuff.

But to her this just proved that he was her true friend, she knew a fake friend wouldn't be so comfortable around her, a fake friend would dance around her feelings. But she had known each of them so long that they'd worked out their own boundaries and knew what not to cross, and when they could dip in, get a quick shot out and retreat without leaving anything but a small bruise, and waited for the retaliation to come.

Richard, the leader of their little gang, looked cool in his leather jacket and shades. He wasn't speaking much, there wasn't much to talk about for him. He could be just as expressive as all the others, but right now he had a look of intensity about him.

They arrived in English class and took their seats.

"Ah, hello. Glad you can make it this millennium." Said the Scottish tones of their teacher. He wasn't angry, but he motioned for them to take their seats. He was a short man, with receding, wavy hair and a strange little hat on his head. "Now, good morning class. I am your replacement teacher, Dr. Percy Smith, but you can call me Dr. McCoy. Spare me the Star Trek jokes please." He smiled, his face had an air of mystery too it like he was some kind of wizard. Like a character from Harry Potter.

He turned to the whiteboard and wrote on it his name, spelling out Dr. as Doctor.

"Now, according to your teachers original lesson plan, we were supposed to discuss and..." Doctor McCoy read from a piece of paper in his hands. "'Interpret the positives of a 1984 society in relation to the modern day considering how dangerous it is on the street'." Doctor McCoy gave everyone a look which said he thought that assignment stupid. The strange face he pulled made people laugh. He was right, what was their teacher thinking? 1984 had been a warning, not a plan for the future.

"But!" and Doctor McCoy tore the paper in half and tossed both pieces over his shoulder. "I instead want you to take a paper and pen, or a laptop if you have one, and I want you to open your creativeness for an hour. Write your own story, whether it be a fiction, a fan fiction, some event you wished went another way. I want you to just write and express yourself, and don't worry what other people think about what you'd write. I want you to fully express your minds."

Rachel and her four friends looked at each other. Usually the old teacher would be very strict with her lessons, forcing them to copy out and repeat exactly what she said to a tee. Every line, every letter and repeat it back like a program.

"Well? Come on, what are you waiting for. Unleash your imagination." He said rather excitedly. "From the happy wishes, to soppy love stories, to the dark and horrific, even sexual fantasies if you so wish. You don't have to show me or anyone else them if you're not comfortable, that isn't the point of today. Just write, be creative."

Rachel liked this. She had her laptop open in a heartbeat and turned it on. As it booted up Garfield looked clueless. "What am I supposed to write?"

"I don't know." Victor said, "a fantasy, just make it up."

"What are you going to write?" Garfield asked him.

"That I'm some kind of super strong athlete who's going to enter the major leagues." Football, typical of him.

"I'm going to write a lovely letter to my parents back home, describing my wonderful friends!" Stella said. Rachel just stared at her dully.

Richard picked up a paper and pencil and just tapped it, wondering what to write.

"Are you going to write more of your story, Rachel?" Garfield asked.

"Oh yes, you write so beautifully!" Stella said. "All about strange worlds, and places, and the Doctor man."

"Umm..." Rachel couldn't speak, "You know what I write?"

"You publish it on the inter web every week to the delight of your fans!" Stella beamed.

"Fans?" Rachel questioned.

"Yeah, umm, it's good, I like it!" Rachel got the impression Garfield didn't read it at all. He wasn't the sort to read unless he could resist it. Unless it was a pizza menu.

"Come now, come now." Doctor McCoy said, "let your imaginations run away with themselves."

Rachel opened the file for "The Lost Child of Azarath" and began writing another chapter.

Let's see, they had just lost Kasey and...

Kasey. Rachel paused. That was actually based on a person she knew. Her uncle, on her dads side.

Sadness filled her. Uncle Kasey always seemed so happy and bouncy to her. But then one day he didn't show up to visit like he usually does every Saturday. He didn't show up the Saturday after that, nor the Saturday after that, nor after that. It was a month before Rachel found out he'd... 'slipped away' in the middle of the night when she, nor anyone could stop him... Her fingers curled up, she sighed and tried to push that unhappy loss from her mind.

But now, what new adventure should her avatar and her Doctor go on now? Oddly she had an idea immediately and as her fingers danced over the keys she began to write their next adventure which she had decided to title. "The Keys to the Mind."

* * *

Raven sat in her favourite reading chair in the console room, now reading a book called 1984, which she found oddly engrossing despite it being a dystopian future of control, rules, barriers, and ideological contradictions. Word play, 'double-think', all to control the masses who thought themselves compassionate and intelligent, but really were all just dull witted, ignorant, workers and security drones for the central power base. Back stabbing and selling each other out to the state was taught and demanded from a young age, either in a fear-mongering state to keep their own country safe, or as a way of gaining recognition in certain social circles, allowing lies to breed more lies.

Raven didn't like the concept, it disturbed her, but she couldn't stop reading it. She kind of knew what it would feel like to have your life constantly probed and prodded in case you were doing things people didn't like. Azarath was a little like that, just a little. Like one time there was a Monk she really didn't like, she'd bullied her and so Raven expressed her dislike of her through writing. An older Monk went through her room, found the writings and had Raven punished for daring to write such stuff. She had been punished while the bullying Monk got off free; she gloated that Raven had been punished because she was the daughter of a demon, and no one likes demons. Raven had been so young and naive. She'd looked for sympathy in other people, but they all treated her like they knew what was in her heart was already dark and evil, and they didn't want to be seen talking to her in case it damaged their social standing with others.

'Peaceful, accepting pacifists' her foot! But their 'goodie, goodie' peaceful, pacifist image known throughout the dimensions made it difficult to convince others that some of their number could be so cruel and horrible. To them, the bullying must've been justified. She had been born the wrong way, to the wrong parent, and Raven felt that meant she herself had to pay for the crimes of her heritage, just because there was no one else to punish and they so wanted someone to punish.

"What's this?" The Doctor said mumbling to himself. He had a habit of talking to himself and clearly he thought he was so quiet Raven wouldn't hear him. "Battle TARDISes flying in formation through the Vega system." He sighed. She looked up into the ceiling which represented the universe outside. A formation of five dots in the distance were moving in formation. Five 'Battle TARDISes' that were light years away, but could be here in an instant. "I wonder what the Time Lords are playing at. Show of strength, maybe? Or are they looking for something? Or someone, I wonder."

Raven looked away back to her finished book just in time as the Doctor turned his head to look at her.

"Better avoid the Vega system for now." And he operated the controls again to take them away from the 'Battle TARDISes'. Raven wasn't stupid, she knew what the Doctor meant.

Everything seemed peaceful again until there was a loud snap at the console and the Doctor screamed in pain.

On her feet in an instant, she moved towards the console. But the Doctor had gone, instead there appeared to be some short, purple, dumpy alien woman standing there. Rubbing her hands together at the sight of the console. She also had a third eye in the middle of her forehead. Clearly this creature wasn't human.

"Who are you?!" Raven said coolly, but accusingly.

The woman screamed and fell backwards off the console platform in surprise. She rolled a few times before getting back to her feet. Clearly this woman hadn't been expecting her. Her hair was short and was a vivid green that looked more like a colour a sick cat had coughed up and someone had matched, and she was wearing a dark tuxedo.

"Who am I? Who are you, and what are you doing in 'my' TARDIS?!" Raven raised an eyebrow.

"'Your' TARDIS?!" she looked the plump, purple woman up and down.

"Yes!" She stood firm and tall, placing her hands on her lapels, "I'll have you know. I am the Doctor!" Raven rolled her eyes.

"And I am Raven, the Doctors body guard." Raven said flatly. The woman seemed genuinely surprised at her presence. "Let me... guess, another regeneration?"

"Umm... Yes, yes, quite right miss... miss Rain..."

"Raven." she corrected.

"Yes, yes." The woman put a hand to her face, and muttered quietly, "he's not supposed to be travelling with anyone. Oh well, when in Rome." She perked up. "Yes, of course, sorry. Regeneration trauma, it messes with your head a little."

This woman danced to the console, and walked around it as if to re-familiarise herself with the controls. Then she cracked her knuckles and said. "Come on then, Girl Power!" and she began programming the console. She certainly looked like she knew what she was doing. This woman, she didn't feel right. Could Time Lords change gender? Could they change species? This woman didn't feel like a Time Lord, she didn't have a second heart, the brain pattern was all wrong, and there was no hint of multiple people inside her head. Unless she was on her first incarnation. But Raven kind of doubted that. For now she'd play along, but she was fast running out of patience as this person sounded less and less like the Doctor the more she spoke.

"You do realise you're taking us back towards the Vega system?" Raven commented.

"No, why? Should that be important?" the woman asked.

"I heard you say, to avoid the Vega system right now. Battle TARDISes and all that?"

"Oh, I can deal with the Time Lords. I am the Doctor after all, they respect and fear me." Ravens mouth shifted to one side of her face.

"You remember it's 'me' they are after, you told me so." She lied, the Doctor had never told her this, she overheard a conversation the Doctor had with Turlock. "After you talked to the Time Lord, Kasterborous." She lied again.

"Yes, well, okay. Maybe we can take the long way around." and the woman operated more controls.

"Where are we going anyway?" Raven asked, playing along.

"A small planet on the other side of this galaxy. It's a terrible place my dear Raven." The woman said, "and worst of all they've elected the wrong candidate as leader. We need to go there and alter everyone's minds so the correct person gets in."

"Is this a distortion of history?" Raven asked, raising an eye brow. Alarm bells were ringing in her head.

"Yes, yes. A distortion we need to fix."

"And we're going to fix it, how?" Raven asked.

"I'm going to land, say who I am, and proclaim my support for the correct party. That should inspire the masses that this party is the best people for them, so they will vote and UGGGHH!" She choked as the woman was lifted into the air by the throat, a black shroud of energy around her neck.

"I'm not buying this." Raven insisted, her eyes glowing brightly under her hood. "Where is the Doctor?"

"I... I..." she choked, "I am the Doctor!"

"Wrong answer." and she gripped the woman's throat tighter. "Where is the Doctor?"

"Let go of me!" She squirmed, "Time Lords can change gender and their entire species now, you Dal-AGHHH!" Raven gripped her tighter, "I don't care what Time Lords can, nor can't do, I know you are not the Doctor, and talking down to me is not going to change my mind. Now..." she again gripped the woman tighter. "Where... is... the Doctor?" She didn't raise her voice. She was confident she'd get the answers eventually.

"I... am... the..." the Impostor coughed.

"Time Lords have a respiratory by-pass system, which means Time Lords can go for a long time without needing to breathe. The Doctor even more so, I know he can also go into a trance which further reduces the need for oxygen. So he can survive longer than an average Time Lord." Raven held this impostor higher so she got the point. "I believe he boasted ten minutes, at least for an average Time Lord, twenty for himself. I'm going to go read a book. If you're still alive after fifteen minutes then I might be convinced. If not, as a Time Lord the worst that could happen is you'll regenerate. If you're not a Time Lord..." she shrugged, "then I guess it sucks to be you."

Raven moved to walk back to her chair, leaving this woman hanging like some decoration. The Impostor choked, clawing at her neck. "Have you got something to say?" Raven didn't look back, instead she brought this impostor closer to her. "Speak up 'Doctor', I can't hear you."

"Okay, okay!" and Raven dropped this dopey, purple woman to the floor behind her.

"Now, where is the Doctor?" Raven could sense behind her that the dopey woman had gotten up and was rushing forward, arms out stretched to grab her. Raven rolled her eyes as the filing cabinet, shrouded in darkness, came out of nowhere and bashed the woman across the floor. Gently Raven put the cabinet back.

"You insolent child, do you know who I am? I am the Doctor!" the woman shouted as if this should impress Raven. It didn't. As if she thought this should be enough to take her seriously and do as she commands. Raven didn't even take the real Doctor seriously, never mind this impostor.

"I can do worse than choke you." Raven said, allowing a little darkness to escape her, not much, just enough. Her form began to get taller, her eyes turned red, teeth sharpened and black tentacles sprouted from under her cloak. "You are not the Doctor, because you'd know what I am capable of when I don't get my own way." The cloak parted to a black void underneath and a couple of tentacles snaked out towards this impostor. "Either you give the Doctor back to me, or I'll drag you in here and rip the truth from your little brain and destroy your mind. Leaving you a mindless gibbering vegetable."

This woman was shaking, terrified of her. Good.

"Though looking at you now, I can hardly tell the difference!"

"Okay, okay, I admit it. I'm not the Doctor!" Raven then dropped her act and shrank back down to her usual size. "I am not... I am not the Doctor. But I can be better than the Doctor. I will act and say things he hasn't the guts, nor understanding to say. I'm going to fight battles he refuses, causes he passes by. I'm going to make the Universe a better place for everyone. I will be the greatest Doctor, ever!"

"Do you know what it feels like to have your insides re-arranged?" Raven threatened again. To get her point across Raven squeezed what she assumed were her intestines and the woman shrieked.

"You vicious little monster!" The woman spat trying to assert some kind of dominance over Raven. But it wasn't working.

"Finally, someone gets me." Raven said, a nasty look in her eyes. "I am a monster."

"Who the hell are you?" The woman shouted, "The Doctor is not supposed to be travelling with anyone at this moment in his life!"

"I told you. I am Raven, daughter of demons, and I am not happy." Her eyes began to glow again. "You see, you've taken something that belongs to me, and I want it back; and if I don't get it back in the next five minutes then I'll claim you as my new toy, and I've always wanted a voodoo doll." As Raven finished, several large pins of dark energy formed around the woman. "Get the point?"

"You little Dalek!" The woman spat in outrage.

"I don't know what that is, nor do I care." Raven said. "Four minutes."

"I can't bring the Doctor to you, because I can't reverse it." The Impostor shouted, but didn't elaborate.

"Now three minutes." Raven added.

"That wasn't a minute!" The Impostor shouted.

"Yes, I know." Raven waited, and when the Impostor didn't speak again she said, "Two minutes."

"Okay! The best I can do is take you to where he's being held." The Impostor said.

"Then take me there." Raven insisted and she picked this Impostor up with her power and moved her towards the console like a doll, "and if I sense even a micron of deception in your mind; and I will sense it, then I will rip out your tongue."

"How can I talk without a tongue?" The woman said smugly. Raven was not in the mood for this game so she gripped the woman's tongue with her power to show she was serious about her threat.

"You still have hands. You can write, can't you?"

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** Raven was really fun to write at the end of this. I could kind of imagine her being a little on the torturous side with people in her younger days with people she didn't like. Something she'll probably have to learn not to do. Would she actually do the things she threatens? No, probably not. But I think she'd not be beyond casting a spell here or there to show she really does have the power to cause them damage and they'd be powerless to stop her.

As for the new character I've called 'the Impostor' she's based off someone I used to know from University who had a lot of very strange ideas, and thought processes I wouldn't exactly say were... logical. But she was deadly serious about them.

If you haven't guessed, the theme of this story is going to be one about authoritarian control, and the bits featuring Rachel Roth have a meaning and connect to Ravens plot. ;)

Again, I've taken some more liberties with Azarathian culture, because I still can't find much info on how Azarath operated. But I'm guessing they'd have some form of prejudice since I've already written that they shunned Raven for being born a particular way. It would only follow some of the other students and teachers would bully her too.

Doctor McCoy in the other segment is to all intents and purposes the Seventh Doctor. There are going to be other references to other Doctors in the story. They're all going to be Rachel Roth's teachers, and they are there for a very good reason. As you will find out. ;)


	37. Chapter 36, A Strange, Strange place

**Authors notes:** I just want to state that 'the Impostor' is in no way a criticism of the 13th Doctor as some have suggested. She's more inspired by a strange woman I knew at University who I mentioned in previous authors notes, and yes, the woman I knew actually talked like this.

I've also edited the last chapter so the alien woman Impostor also has a third eye in her forehead and pointy ears to further show that she's alien, not a human.

To clear the air, my opinion on Doctor 13 is she has potential, but I just wish the writers would give the actress something to properly chew on to show the range of her acting talent, and the stories have been lacking to say the least.

This chapter was also a pain to write, because I wanted to get across what kind of character the Impostor is without making her sound too preachy, boring, nor drag the story too much. Hopefully a good dose of Ravens famous sarcasm has off set how irritating the Impostor character is, and I've deliberately wrote her to be irritating.

* * *

 **Chapter 36**

 **A Strange, Strange Place.**

This three eyed, pointy eared alien woman, Raven had decided to just call 'The Impostor,' since she would not say her real name, seemed to know what she was doing when it came to piloting the TARDIS. Where she got that information from Raven didn't know. She was certainly no Time Lord but Raven guessed anyone could learn to operate the TARDIS.

"Are we heading towards the Doctor?" Raven asked, her eyes glowing.

"Yes," the alien woman said, and Raven did not feel any deceit in her words. "How did you know I was not the Doctor? It was my third eye isn't it? You think people with a third eye can't possibly be Time Lords!"

"Umm..." Raven didn't know how to respond to that, it was a really weird statement to make. "I can sense everything about you. You only have one heart, you don't have telepathic powers, nor a respiratory by-pass system, nor do you have a hint of regeneration energy about you, and..."

"That doesn't mean I'm not a Time Lord!" the alien woman said in outrage.

"It kind of implies it does." Raven said back. The Impostors eyes grew wide as if this was the worst thing Raven could say to her.

"You think Galirial cannot be Time Lords?" that must be her species.

"I've never heard of your species, and I don't care. You've kidnapped the Doctor and..."

"I am a Time Lord, I AM!" The Impostor insisted, Raven was fast running out of patience with her.

"Once we recover the Doctor, I'll crush your neck." She threatened. "If you regenerate then I'll be convinced you're a Time Lord."

Ka'Chud, and the TARDIS landed, that was quick, and Raven marched the Impostor out of the TARDIS. The plump woman seemed to have trouble getting through the narrower police box doors, so Raven shoved her out herself.

The Police Box had landed in a forest. The sun was shining, the grass was green, and they had landed in a small field of flowers between trees.

Raven closed and locked the TARDIS door to stop the Impostor dipping back in. Raven then floated up so she could get her bearings. The place had tall snow peaked mountains off in the distance, the sea was on another side and in the middle of this valley there appeared to be a castle and a village in the distance.

Raven looked down and saw the Impostor pull a key out of her pocket and insert it into the TARDIS lock.

The key was ripped from the Impostors fingers and it sailed into Raven's open hands as she descended to the ground. Weirdly, this key wasn't the usual spade shape of the TARDIS key, this key was a yale type key. Why did the Impostor think she could get into the TARDIS with this?

"I... was just going to check if I'd left the handbrake on." and she tried to push on the door but it refused to open for her.

"Take your hands off my stuff!" Raven insisted.

"This is my TARDIS now!" The Impostor insisted, rather stupidly as Raven picked the purple woman up and pushed her away from the Police Box.

Raven raised her arms and decided to push the TARDIS into another dimension for now, she could always call it back later. The TARDIS was now shrouded in dark energy.

"Azarath Metrion Zynthos!" Raven cried. But nothing happened.

Maybe she'd cast it wrong, it had been a while since she'd used this spell. She repeated the hand gesture and tried again. The box shuddered as Raven's powers tried to shove it between dimensions, but it refused to budge from this world. Weird.

The last time this didn't work the TARDIS had been on a ship in hyperspace, a place already between the dimensions of space and time. But looking around, this place looked ordinary.

She looked back at the alien woman who smiled nervously. Raven didn't need to read her mind to understand that smirk. Likely her plan was to lead Raven away, then double back, get into the TARDIS and take off again. To prevent that Raven considered turning this woman to stone until she found the Doctor, but Raven had a feeling she'd need her for now. Raven reasoned, the Impostor wanted the TARDIS, Raven needed the Impostor. So Raven would take the TARDIS with them, but she'd need to make it inaccessible to the Impostor without Raven to undo it.

Raven turned back to the Police Box and rested a hand on each pillar on its front.

"I'm sorry about this. But I'm just doing it to keep you safe. Okay?" and she charged her powers, the Police Box was covered in black energy again. "Azarath Metrion Zynthos!" She cried and as she collapsed her hands together its as if the TARDIS shrank down into her closing palms. When she parted them the TARDIS had gone entirely.

"NO!" The Impostor shouted, rushing up to her, taking her hands and almost bending her fingers backwards to look for any trace of the Police Box.

"What happened to it?!" the Impostor cried.

"It's in here." Raven said, tapping a finger on her head. "In my mind, where you can't reach it."

"But..." the woman looked like she was on the verge of crying, "I need the TARDIS. I'm the Doctor now!"

Ravens mouth again moved to one side of her face. "So start acting like one."

* * *

As they walked through the forest Raven unfortunately had to find out about this woman because she would not shut up.

"I'm the head of LINDA, the London Investigation N' Detective Agency." the Impostor said. Raven assumed it was some kind of organisation of real detectives, but it turned out to be just a fan group centred around the Doctor. It wasn't even based in London anymore. Since apparently the advancement of super light speed communications meant 'LINDA had gone galactic'.

"We've always known the Doctor existed, and we've charted and documented as many of his adventures as we can." She was a Doctor fan girl clearly, but...

"If you love him so much, why do you want to kidnap and replace him?" Raven had asked.

"Because he hardly ever uses his great power and influence." The alien woman explained. "He merely uses it to unlock doors so he can beat back Daleks and Cy... and the Master and things like that."

"That's not enough for you?" Raven asked, astonished she wanted the Doctor to do more than 'merely' both liberate and save peoples lives.

"Well, what he does is good and stuff. But I want him to teach people too. I go to plenty of protests and marches, and I just think how easy it'd be for us if the great Doctor stood with us against the bad guys!" The Impostor said passionately.

 _Tell people what to do in other words._

"You know, one of us met the Doctor and asked him to do just that. Do you know what he said?" The Impostor said as if what the Doctor said was scandalous.

"Which answer will shut you up faster?" Raven said flatly.

"He refused!" The Impostor said, speaking over her. "He said we needed to sort out these problems ourselves, that he couldn't 'hold our hands through everything' we had to make 'decisions ourselves without his interference'. But you know there are people who disagree with our cause so we never win! There is such ignorance in the Galaxy!"

"Life is so cruel." Ravens voice was heavy with sarcasm.

"So I will do the good the Doctor refuses." The Impostor said proudly. "That is why I shall be the greatest Doctor ever. The Universe will just love me for teaching and bringing love, peace and tolerance to the Galaxy and beyond!"

Raven rolled her eyes. This creature couldn't win a fight with a paper bag, never mind an army of Cybermen. Raven also suspected she wanted to replace the Doctor for more selfish reasons than angelic ones. The angelic reasons were just a cover.

"Let me get this straight. You think the person who first called himself the Doctor, who established the legend of the Doctor, the reputation of the Doctor, the deeds the Doctor is known for. Is suddenly not worthy of the name he gave himself because he doesn't do as you wish; and you think you are more worthy to be called 'Doctor'? Despite never travelling in Space nor Time, never fought Evil before, and can't take people doubting your credibility without whining about it?" There was an awkward silence. "Yeah, I'd be so confident with you at the controls of the TARDIS."

"His reputation and legend has evolved beyond the capacity of the real person." The woman stood proudly, as if she could fill his shoes. "It's time for new blood to take over." She beamed.

 _Don't tempt me._ Raven thought darkly when the woman mentioned 'blood'.

The alien woman then went on a long spiel about how virtuous she was. But Raven wasn't listening, she'd tuned it out. All she wanted was the Doctor back, that was it. Raven would probably be more open to learning about this woman and her struggles, if she hadn't kidnapped the Doctor to start with and then acted like it was entirely justified, because her goals justified the means to reach them. It was taking a lot of restraint to not use her powers on her.

 _Try to be nice. Just try._

 _Can't I just damage her vocal cords a little?_

 _No!_

 _Seal her mouth shut?_

 _No!_

 _Can I at least take her tongue?  
_

 _I SAID NO! That's even worse._

 _I know._

Suddenly the Impostor grabbed her shoulder to get her attention. Raven turned and saw the Impostor flapping her lips. The alien woman stopped, looked left and right and looked outraged as she'd noticed Raven had put wads of cotton in her ears.

Raven reached up and pulled them out. "What?"

"You haven't been listening to a word I said! Have you, you nasty Dalek!" The woman spat. Whatever a 'Dalek' was, Raven guessed it was an insult of some kind, but she didn't know this woman, didn't care about her approval so it was all just sticks and stones to her.

"You're right, I haven't." Raven said flatly in reply, and the alien woman got really annoyed again. Getting annoyed at stuff seemed to be her core character trait.

"Why you little!" But she shrank away as Ravens eyes glowed again. Then she seemed to get some bravery back. "What species are you?"

"Demon." Raven said to scare her.

"Are you making fun of me?" The alien woman asked indignantly. Raven didn't know how her answer was seen as mocking to her, but the goth girl shrugged and walked on with the alien woman treading behind her.

The aliens aura was strange. As if conflicted. As if she felt the way she should interact with Raven depended entirely upon one thing she couldn't figure out. Going by her last question Raven guessed the alien woman wanted to know her species, as if that would inform the way she should talk to her. Why the alien woman would think that, Raven wasn't sure.

"Kaled, Sconnon, Rills, Dominator, human, are you a Gallifreyan?" the woman listed. Raven could sense that this woman held a great deal of dislike for those species. Oh great, this woman was prejudice, and Raven now got the feeling if she admitted she was a human she'd never hear the end of it from this three eyed creature. So to keep peace Raven didn't answer, and the Impostor just seemed to get more annoyed.

They were now approaching a bridge over a river with a large creature guarding it. Large, green skin, muscly, twice the size of a normal human and it hauled a great big club in its hands. It was a Troll, a literal Troll, and he was guarding the bridge.

"Stand back," The Impostor said, "and I'll show you why I am a good Doctor. All Monsters fear the Doctor."

 _I don't fear you._ Raven thought. _And I am a monster._

The Impostor walked up to the Troll and held her hands on her lapels and tried to stand with some stance of authority.

 _This aught to be good._ Raven thought.

"Now see here creature, we want to cross this bridge." She said in a demanding tone. "I know you understand me, now speak!" The Troll looked at her like she was something nasty.

"What have we got here?" The Troll asked in a gravelly voice, "Someone going for seconds at a dinner party?" it mocked and looked at her stomach. The look on the Impostors face showed she did not like that remark. She opened her mouth to speak again but the Troll cut her off. "What are you, a wingless penguin?" again the alien woman in the tuxedo was now flustered. "Just go roll away."

"Look here you monster! I've always stood up to monsters and bullies like you." and the woman kicked the Troll sharply in the shin. The Troll did not like that. "Fear me, monster for I am the Doctor and I am... AHhh!"

"...kind of stupid." Raven added as the Impostor was hauled off her feet and thrown across the grass into a mud pit.

Raven hovered over the Impostors prone form as she stared up into the air as if astonished at the reaction she'd gotten from the Troll. Raven's head appeared from above her vision.

"Yeah, the monster is clearly terrified of you." Raven's voice heavy with sarcasm. Leaving the woman Raven went back to the Troll.

"Oh, I'm getting attacked by the Living Dead now!" the Troll said in a feeble attempt at mockery. "Or are you a Sith? You gonna attack me with your Force?"

"Can I pass?" Raven asked.

The Troll leaned down to look at her. "No!" he said. Raven waved her hands in front of her face because the Trolls breath stank. "No one is allowed to cross this bridge, I am here to guard it. What are you gonna do? Splash me with your delicious tears?!"

Raven looked at the Trolls club and she took a step forwards. Her eyes didn't glow as she suppressed her powers, for now. If she was going to power up then this Troll was going to throw the first punch, not her.

But the Troll didn't move, it just blocked her way and made no attempt to attack her no matter how close she got. Eventually she got close enough to stand inches from him and the only thing stopping her was his body. The thing just continued to fling insults. "Do you ever wash your hair?"

Raven raised an eyebrow, shrugged and walked away a little down the river and using her powers she just walked across the water, dragging the Impostor behind her, again with her powers.

"Oi, you can't do that!" The Troll shouted.

"Try and stop me." Raven said as she landed on the other side of the river, the Impostor having been dragged through the actual water, which she did deliberately. The funny thing was the river was shallow enough to walk through anyway. So why bother interacting with the Troll when he's not even in the way?

As Raven walked on the Troll left his bridge and bounded after them. He looked aggressive, sounded aggressive, but when he got nearer he seemed to lose steam, give up and go back to his bridge. The Impostor dusted herself down and ran to catch Raven up.

"Why didn't you attack him?!" The Impostor asked. "You have the power to show him!"

"He's not worth the effort." Raven said shrugging.

"Yeah, but he could hurt someone else if we don't deal with him!" The Impostor insisted.

"If someone wants to approach that creature and square up to it then that's their business." Raven dismissed.

"But he goaded me into attacking." The Impostor shouted as if this was a terrible crime. "Then he attacked me. When we find someone in charge I'll have it arrested!"

"Sticks and Stones. You lost your temper and threw the first punch. The Doctor would never throw the first punch." Raven sighed. "Please, tell me again why you think you'd make a good Doctor."

"Easy for you to say. Do you know how many people suffer because of..." but Raven had replaced the wads of cotton in her ears again with her power. She wasn't interested in the Doctors lectures, never mind the whinings of this pretender.

"Tell me about it." Raven said when the alien girl stopped flapping her lips just to pretend like she was listening.

* * *

Eventually they made it to the village. It looked like they were in maybe the early 20th or late 19th century on Earth. The buildings and architecture looked to be European, the streets were cobbly and everyone was rushing around keeping themselves busy.

"Where to next?" Raven said, and added "Doctor" in a mocking tone as the soaking wet alien looked around.

"He's being held in the castle up there." The Impostor pointed, there was no deceit in her words.

As they walked through the village Raven became aware of something. Something she couldn't quite put her finger on. What would the Doctor do? Examine and deduce.

Okay, what could she say about the people? They were... not all human. Everyone was a different species of alien. Some wolf like creatures, some globby aliens, some green creatures, and some with multiple limbs.

Raven wasn't threatened, it was just weird that the place looked like a classical European Village and yet it was full of aliens. But she just mentally shrugged. It was actually nice to see aliens living together and cooperating for a change instead of being at each others throats like they usually are.

Things really took a strange turn when she passed in front of a cafe and she could swear she saw... No, she must be dreaming, or insane, or maybe there was some costume event going on or something.

But she could swear in the chairs outside that cafe were Batman and Superman!

Raven had heard of Batman and Superman, two of Earths mightiest heroes. But what were they doing here of all places?

She realised she was staring as she walked past them, so she looked away but still listened into their conversation.

"Do you know what I would've done?" Batman said in a low voice as he held a coffee cup.

"Thrown a batarang at him?" Superman joked.

"No." Batman said and there was an awkward silence, "okay, yes."

"Dude, awesome idea!" Did Superman just use the word 'dude'? "Why don't we team up, it'll be awesome!"

"I don't team up with other supers."

"Because it interrupts your brooding and 'lonely rich kid with issues' image?" Superman mocked.

"No. It's BECAUSE I'M..."

"Batman?!" Superman finished and Batman looked a little annoyed.

"Yes... It's BECAUSE I'M BATMAN!"

Ravens mouth mouthed a 'What the f...' She never expected Batman nor Superman to behave like this. Something strange was going on.

Suddenly the ground then began to rumble and people were fleeing into their homes.

"Gotta go!" Superman said and flew off into the air like a bullet. Batman took a last sip from his coffee cup, pulled out a grappling hook, fired it into the air and despite it not latching onto anything pulled himself away as the rumbling continued.

"What's going on?" Raven asked, it felt like footsteps; Giant footsteps.

"GIANTS!" cried one of the villagers as they all ran for cover. Giants? If there were Giants why weren't Batman nor Superman going to fight them? Why did they run away?

"Come on, we've got to hide!" said the Impostor pulling on Ravens arms. But Raven refused. She was overdue a good deed so a couple of giants should be easy to take down, surely.

She moved to a corner of a building and waited for the giants to come around the side. The Impostor followed her, trying to convince her to take cover.

"Fee-fi-fo-fum" said an echoing voice "We smell the blood of Englishmen!"

Englishmen? What Englishmen?

The stamping came again and it felt like something should be coming around the corner of this building, but there was nothing there. No giants, nothing. Were they invisible? Raven couldn't sense them and...

"Fee-fi-fo-fum, I'm..." the echoing voice stopped. "Here! What you two doing standing there?" Said a high pitched, comical voice much closer to the ground.

Raven looked down and saw a party of five little, blue elf like creatures with bulbous noses, they were wearing white caps and pants, and they were no taller than her shins. They all had large platform boots on and one was carrying a megaphone he had been shouting into.

"Where are the giants?" Raven asked as her brow dropped.

"Here! We are the giants!" The elves said.

"What?!" Raven was clueless. "You guys aren't giants, you're too little."

"There's more to being a giant than size you know." One of the little elves spoke up.

"Uhh... No there isn't." Raven said, "Giants are usually thirty feet tall or more."

"Yeah, well some of us are and some of us ain't." Another elf said in a funny voice. "In fact we admit as giants we are petite."

 _What lunacy is this?_ Raven thought.

"Leave them alone." The Impostor suddenly spoke up. "They can call themselves giants if they want."

"But they're not. Giants are enormous creatures." Raven turned back to the elves. "Mouse sized giants make no sense, they don't exist."

POP!

Raven leapt back as the elves vanished as if they had never existed.

"What have you done?!" The Impostor cried, "You've 'unpersoned them'!"

"All I said was, giants have to be large." Raven was confused over what had just happened. Had her calling out their nonsense somehow ended their existence?

"GUARDS, GUARDS!" The Impostor cried, "She 'Unpersoned' someone. She's an evil Dalek, get her! Get her!"

Creak, creak, creak, creak, and around the corner came... What the hell is going on? Wooden soldiers! Giant, wooden English Palace soldiers the size of a man. Red coats were painted on them, large hats with lanterns that shone brightly, and a key turned in their backs. They swayed from side to side as they walked with their wooden rifles.

They approached and surrounded her, but Raven just gently lifted herself up and hovered in the air out of their reach.

Whatever these guards were they weren't very well made as they reached up to get her despite her being well out of range of their grasping hands. They were like a bunch of zombies.

Raven watched as the Impostor bounded for a dark alley and disappeared. Good, she'd had all she could stomach of that alien.

Looking around a little more she could see a lot of strange things just in this one village. The first odd thing was what looked like a hooded figure leaping off a windmill at the back and landing in a haystack before leaping out and sprinting away. The next was some kind of character in green with a sword smashing pots in a shop with the store owner not batting an eyelid. Looking into the sky she saw the moon... But that was no moon. It had lights on it and a massive crater on one hemisphere, a space station of some kind. Also in the sky was some massive red space ship with long prongs sticking out the front and an asteroid in its belly.

Then Raven was spooked as something flew over her head. A car! An old fashioned type car that was flying! It had kite wings and spinning propellers as it carried four people who sounded like they were singing, music was following them. The car was chittering along and every once in a while its tail pipe backfired twice.

Flying cars, Batman and Superman, giant space stations? What kind of strange planet was this?

Gently she set herself down outside the village, and she barely made it two steps before a giant, green pipe sprouted from the soil and from it jumped a short, chubby man and a tall, lanky man both with large noses and moustaches, and both dressed in red and green respectfully. They were also clearly cartoon characters!

Cartoon characters?! Had she hit her head? Was she in a coma and these were her dreams?

Suddenly some kind of blue blur circled around and around them. It came to a stop and some kind of bipedal rodent patted them both on the head from behind. This creature too was a cartoon character, wearing white gloves and red sneakers, and both of his eyes appeared to be joined together across his face.

"Tag, you're it!" the creature said and ran off faster than Raven could keep up. "Catch me if you can!"

"After him, Luigi!" the short man in red said in an Italian sounding Brooklyn accent, and they both bounded after the rodent. "There's only going to be one winner in the console wars!"

Raven just stood watching all this lunacy happen around her. She'd travelled in the TARDIS for two months, seen a lot of strange creatures, times and customs, but never had she seen such lunacy before.

"Okay, this..." Raven said looking around wide eyed. "... is really, really disturbing."

Raven suspected where she was. The Doctor had described it, but she couldn't believe it.

* * *

"The Land of what?" Beast Boy exclaimed when Raven told them where she had ended up. Raven shot him a steely glance and Beast Boy instantly clammed up and shut up.

"It's a place called 'the Land of Fiction.'" Raven said, "The Doctor later described it as a place where the pressure of belief from millions of minds of fictional places or characters cause them to manifest and exist as a mental projection."

"So this Impostor Doctor was someones fictional version of the legend?" Star Fire asked, "But how could she escape into the real world and kidnap the Doctor?"

"I'll come to that." Raven said.

"And what about this Rachel and her friends? How do they fit into this?" Star Fire asked.

"I'll come to that." Raven said smiling at the suspense she was keeping them both in.

"How come Star Fire gets to interrupt, but I can't?" Beast Boy complained.

"You could, but I'll kick you out." Raven mentally chuckled at Beast Boys child like, grumpy face. Silence was the penalty for going into her room and through her stuff, and he only now realised this. At least Beast Boy understood what he did, that Raven didn't like it, he begrudgingly accepted the penalty, and didn't make excuses for his actions. Unlike someone else she'd just described.

"Now, I'll get back to Rachel soon. But for now she was still writing what I did next. Which was go to the castle." Raven sighed, "And so began the biggest headache of my life."

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** Strap yourselves in. This kind of lunacy is my speciality. :D

The Troll thing was an analogy to Internet Trolls. Forget your pride, just ignore them and go around them, they can't really do anything.

Part of the inspiration for the Impostor is the Big Finish audio, the One Doctor, where someone is going around pretending to be the Doctor in order to con people out of valuable minerals. In this case, the motivation is more of an authoritarian nature.

The Impostor being the head of LINDA in some future time is also a subtle jab at some fan run groups I've found which are run quite poorly, and have become quite authoritarian themselves.

I'm watching a lot of Monty Python because I really want to give Raven a headache in this one. :P

Obviously the version of Batman and Superman Raven sees are the 'How It Should Have Ended' versions which I like to think exist as a fiction in the DC universe themselves. :P

I didn't refer to each character by name, because I don't think Raven would be familiar with them anyway. Plus, it'll be more fun for the reader to slowly realise what and who I'm describing.


	38. Chapter 37, Down the Rabbit Hole

**Authors notes:** Hopefully I'm not 'Jumping the Shark' with whats about to happen in the Land of Fiction. :P

* * *

 **Chapter 37**

 **Down the Rabbit Hole.**

This world was insane. As Raven moved towards the castle she could see all kinds of weird creatures and characters all around the place. A grey humanoid rabbit talking to a black humanoid duck, the duck getting very angry while the rabbit stood coolly munching on a carrot. A party of four came out of the forest, two kids, a boy and a girl, a teenage woman with red hair and a green plaid shirt, a large man in a black top with a question mark on it. The two kids checked some kind of old book, they pointed and they disappeared into the other side of the trail.

"What the heck is this place?" Three girls zoomed past Raven, dressed in pink, blue and green, all with bulbous like heads, stump like limbs and they were flying leaving coloured trails behind them.

Why couldn't she move five steps without seeing something weird?

Raven decided to get away from all the craziness by flying into the air, above the tree tops towards the castle instead.

As she rose higher and higher she found something else odd. The trees were arranged very neatly, like planted crops. They all seemed to start in a line at one side at the same place, then they'd go so far, and terminate at random places.

As Raven went higher she realised there was something familiar about the structure of the forest. Usually she'd dismiss it, but the Doctor always told her that the answers sometimes lie in the mundane. So she went for a closer look at one of the trees.

From outside it looked rather ordinary, except its trunk was of a strange, twisted shape. As Raven pushed through the branches to get a look at its top she noticed the shape of this tree, from the top to the trunk it formed a curly line of some kind. An odd but probably irrelevant detail if it wasn't for the fact that the next tree before that was shaped differently, just a straight line, perfectly straight. The next one was even weirder. From the top it looked like it was shaped like a D, with a hollow space going straight through the centre of it.

Wait a minute! Those last two trees were also shaped like letters, an I and an S. She'd just been looking at them from the wrong angle. It would've been an amazing coincidence, but Raven doubted it was.

She floated back up above the trees and using her powers she cast the whole forest in dark energy so she could see the outlines of the tree trunks clearly. They were all shaped like letters and the forest was clearly a sentence structure of some kind.

"A bad workman always blames his tools."

"A drowning man will clutch at a straw."

"A fool and his money are soon parted."

"People prefer to be seen as right, than to be effective."

"Lets be open minded, but not so open minded our brains fall out."

"I have no idea, people who boast about their IQ are losers."

"People won't have time for you if you are always angry or complaining."

"We only have to look at ourselves to see how intelligent life might develop into something we wouldn't want to meet."

And it just went on and on.

Clearly these were all sayings, proverbs and quotes. Some she was sure she recognised. Words seemed to be everywhere. Which was understandable since words form the backbone of language and ideas, and therefore fiction.

Since this was the 'Land of Fiction' after all, the 'World of Words', a place where peoples beliefs manifested, if enough people believed them, that meant every popular book, TV show, Movie all had a presence here, as long as it had a big enough fan base to generate the image.

Shrugging she decided to make haste to the castle and find the Doctor. The sooner she found him, the sooner she could get out of here and back to reality.

Raven landed outside the castle, it was large, and grand. The outside was so clean and crisp it looked like it may have been a set in a kids movie.

The Land of Fiction. Figures.

She hid in the forest and observed the castle. If the Doctor was being held in there, then likely they weren't friendly people at all.

Reaching out with her mind she tried to sense where the Doctor was. This place actually felt strange, because nothing was truly real her mind had trouble seeing everything. It was as if it was all made of an intangible fog, you could see it, but it was like it broke up when you examined it too closely.

Everything was still too shrouded for her too see clearly through her powers. Perhaps the Doctor had been moved since the Impostor was last here.

That was a thought. Who was the Impostor? Was she a fiction? Raven found it hard to imagine anyone could truly be that irritating and contradictory in their own philosophy.

Wait, if this wasn't the real world would her powers actually work here? Experimentally Raven shrouded a boulder in her powers to make sure. The last thing she wanted was to be surprised like that again. The boulder lifted up and floated around. Yep, she could use her powers in this world.

From the guard positions around the top of the walls Raven could see wind up soldiers walking around the walls, swaying from side to side as they went. How good were their eye sight? She didn't know. She also didn't know what surprises she might find inside that castle if she tried to break in.

The front doors of the castle swung open and as she watched several wooden wind up soldiers marched out of the castle, all carrying flaming torches and they descended back down the trail. Were they looking for her?

Raven cast a cloak of perception over herself and began walking up to the door, intent on passing straight through it, into the lions den. But as she approached she found the doors were swinging open for her.

She stopped and waited. Something must be about to come out. Or go in. She looked behind her. No, it was just her here.

"Oi, get a move on before I shut the portcullis!" shouted a man, was he talking to her? "Yeah, you. The hooded girl. Hurry up, this things heavy!"

She could be seen? She guessed not all her spells were going to work properly here.

She shrugged, since she'd been invited she might as well walk right in. She still had her telepathic powers so she should be able to defend herself. The man who shouted dropped the portcullis aftre she passed under it.

The inner castle courtyard was quite large. The ground was paved, and carpeted. There were trees lining the castle inner walls, all arranged so neatly, so neatly in fact that each tree looked exactly the same, down to how the branches split from each other.

Wind up toy soldiers were just marching around in formation. They totally ignored her entirely. Looking around she tried to find the man who lowered the portcullis, but he was gone. With few options Raven approached the central keep of the castle, and ascended a great many stairs up to the doors. They parted as she approached and she stepped inside.

"Hel...Hello?" She called out into the large, empty space. It was lavishly decorated in purples and greens which actually made Raven feel sick to look at them.

"Ah, miss. May I take your cloak?" said an alien gentleman behind her, who grabbed her cloak to lift it off her. But she grabbed her cloak and pulled it back down.

"You have two seconds to get off me!" She warned and he let her cloak go. "I want to see someone in charge!"

"Very good, miss." He sounded like a butler, had a long, prominent nose with a bushy white moustache, and he was dressed and held himself like a perfect butler. His skin was also green. "This way." and he began leading her deeper into the castle. They came up to a wall which had several doors set into it, going from one side of the room to the other.

"Ah, now..." The butler said, "Which species are you?"

That was the second person to ask that.

"Why does it matter?" Raven asked shrugging.

"You can only pass through the door that corresponds to your species." the Butler explained.

"Why, where do they go?"

"Oh, the same place, the dining area" The Butler said as if this was obvious.

"Then, what's the point?" Raven shrugged. The Butler rolled his eyes.

"My dear, it is to keep individual species safe. It makes the species as a whole feel safer if they have their own door to use when going to dinner, a door no other species is allowed to use. It's in a scientific study, look it up!" This was the Land of Fiction so Raven doubted it was actually true. This was the kind of nonsense you'd find in one of the classical novels like the Alice Compendium, or the works of Lewis Carol.

Raven thought and wondered if she should reveal what species she truly was. The Impostor had held a great dislike for some species, despite preaching about peace and tolerance - another contradiction, the Impostor really was a fiction.

"I'm a..." she thought quickly. "Which species correspond to which door?" And the butler listed off a handful of species who were allowed to go through each door. But they were also additional qualifiers, such as beliefs, political leanings, religion and so on. If you had the wrong ones you were not allowed in at all. This was really a headache, all she wanted to do was see someone in charge. She chose whatever answers would get her through the door to see what was beyond. As for species, she picked one the butler said that she recognised! "I'm a Galirial." Raven said. _That was a stupid one to say_ , Raven thought, _I don't look a thing like one._

The Butler raised his eyebrow and looked her up and down. Then he shrugged and pointed to a door close to the centre of the wall. "That one miss." and the door swung open. Raven walked towards it, paused and then turned back to the Butler.

"You do realise I don't look like a Galirial. Right?" Raven asked.

"My dear, claiming it is enough to make it true." and he turned and walked away back to whatever duties he preformed.

"This place is going to rot my brain." Raven thought and she walked over the threshold of the door and into a magnificent, large banquet hall. Again, decorated in purples and greens.

Here there were people sitting around a large, round table. The creatures were all different kinds of species. They all appeared to be in active discussion with each other, all of which came to a stop when Raven entered the room.

"Uhh... hi." She gave a little wave. "I'm looking for..."

"Dash it, another Galirial." Said a short, imp like alien. Wait, he thought she was a Galirial? She didn't tell him she was Gallirial? She didn't look like a Gallirial? What the hell?

"Indeed," said a tall, long necked alien with an elephants trunk on her face, "The Galirial now have three people within this room."

"Yes, we all demand we send for one other of our species at this banquet."

"Hear, hear."

"He's right you know."

"We must all be equal after all!"

Raven just stared at this exchange, what the heck?

"Uhh... I'll just leave if that makes things simpler." Raven said taking a step back.

"Nonsense, nonsense." A large man at the head of the table said. He had three eyes, purple skin and wore a crown on his head. Clearly he was the king and he was a Galirial. "We don't like to make people feel unwelcome, especially a poor, fellow Galirial!" He couldn't tell she wasn't of his own species? Then Raven was practically dragged to the table and made to sit down. Food was piled up in front of her despite her refusing, she wasn't hungry.

"Oh, come now, you must be famished. You're as skinny as a rake." Raven looked down at herself, she wasn't that bad!

"We must get you out of those dreadful rags too." Another said, "Far too 'revealing'. You must represent your species at all times after all. It is the law."

"What?" But Raven was never given any chance to protest as everyone seemed to talk over her as if she didn't really matter. They apparently wanted her there, but didn't want to listen to her when she wanted to speak.

Shrugging she decided to just listen to the conversations going on around her.

"Oh, you know those rotten Aaalya's, they said we're not allowed to take part in the psychic Olympics because we don't have psychic powers. Pah, they should not be allowed to use their psychic powers in the psychic Olympics then, if its going to exclude certain species of a psychic disadvantage."

 _What the hell?_

"Luxury, my friend! I can top that. I was told I had a bogey dangling from my nose while I gave a speech. Oh, I could've died with embarrassment, why did he have to point it out to me? I'd prefer to be ignorant. Oh, I feel so violated!"

"Oh I could dream of that!" said another, "I was told my cybernetic enhancements meant I couldn't join the triathlon because they constituted an 'unfair advantage over the others' and suggested I join the Cyborg Triathlon instead. Scandalous, absolutely scandalous! They're just scared I'd win and prove how better I am. Oh, the oppression my species gets!"

As Raven listened to more and more, the faster and faster this place started to sound like a support group for all these people, and all of their complaints were just nonsense, and each was said as if to try to one up each other on who had it the worst. Raven didn't call out their nonsense. She knew how angry people got when you doused them with reality, and as fictional characters reality probably didn't mean anything to them.

Raven held her head, as more complaints were thrown around the table. Didn't they talk about anything else? She could feel her brain start to rot.

As an experiment she tried to steer the conversation and push herself into it. They were just fictions after all, she had no reason to feel embarrassed.

"Yes, whatever you say my dear. Anyway..." they were very dismissive. "Oh, you know the King of the Fairies? He is so rude, always talking over everyone. Oh, such a typical man! I swear he just wants that queen to be window dressing for him."

 _Pot calling the kettle black._ Raven thought. What fiction did these people come from? She guessed it might not be a human fiction since they were all aliens.

* * *

"Oh, its called the Dozen Shanpils!" Star Fire cried joyfully, clutching her hands together. "A comedy of contradictions and delightful nonsense, from the delta sector of the Galaxy!"

"A comedy? If you say so..." Raven said, shrugging. Humour was subjective after all. "They seemed deadly serious to me. Very deadly serious."

Beast Boy made a face that betrayed what he was thinking. That Raven always took things too seriously and didn't understand 'comedy'. Raven decided to ignore the jab. It was his mind, he could think what he liked.

This Dozen Shanpils thing wasn't very funny to her, because whoever thought of this as funny had a very cruel sense of humour.

* * *

Raven was fast losing patience with these people. They wouldn't let her leave, wouldn't let her speak and now they were talking about how she should dress. But the headache was that the alien woman who told her this said not five minutes ago that she hated when people told her where to go, what to do and how to dress and yet she was doing it to Raven. What a hypocrite!

Raven tried to tell her she wore these clothes of her own free will, but they patronisingly didn't believe her, thinking someone else had forced the cloak and leotard on her. Instead they insisted she wear something that, "better represents your species when you walk around outside." said one of the other aliens.

Raven wouldn't have minded, the Doctor asked her to get changed into more suitable clothes when they landed in different places where her attire might attract the wrong kind of attention, but with the Doctor she always had a choice, she could choose not to get changed. With these people they were practically planning how they were going to dress her, and dared to think she had any autonomy within their numbers.

 _If anyone comes anywhere near me with anything like what you're wearing, I'll stick those buttons so far down their throat they'll be passing plastic for a week!_ Raven thought darkly.

When she refused to wear what they said she should they suddenly changed gears. "My dear, you don't know what you're talking about. Do you know how many Galirial are forced to dress in ways they do not wish to. You're supporting a stereotype, and we can't have that. Surely you don't want to support that either?" Pot calling the kettle black again! What's wrong with these people?!

"Bite me!" Raven said sharply.

"Oh, such an insolent little girl!" Sticks and stones again. Raven was a monster after all.

Suddenly a door swung open sharply with a loud clang and marching through it was a lone person. The Impostor, round, dishevelled and very angry.

"Ah, Doctor. Glad to see you have returned, I..." the King started but the Impostor cut them off.

"She!" The Impostor pointed at Raven, "Is not Galirial! She's an Impostor!" More pot calling the kettle black, Raven didn't like her impersonating the Doctor, and she didn't like Raven impersonating her species. As far as Raven was concerned this should make them even. "She's a pretender! Do you know what she is? I've just found out!" She paused as if for dramatic effect, then the Impostor began snarling at her. "She is a filthy, arrogant, evil, advantaged, oppressing, human being!"

A loud smash came as some dropped their drinks glasses to the floor. Raven suddenly felt very uncomfortable when the entire table, as one, turned their heads to look at her, utter dislike in their eyes. She didn't understand why being a human meant she should be looked at differently.

"You're an oppressor!" said the aliens next to her.

"We thought you were one of us!" Another said disappointed.

"And I wanted to dress her in finery too!" another moaned.

"Get this creature out of here and throw her into the dungeons where her kind belongs." The King bellowed. Raven got out of her seat and started backing away.

"Okay, I'm not a Galirial... but I am half demon!" Raven said quickly, hoping it'd throw a spanner in the works. It actually did, they all hesitated and looked at each other.

"What's a demon? Where are they in the pyramid chart?"

"Are they higher than the Gallirial? Lower than the Humans?"

"Do hybrids deserve anything from society if they're only half an 'oppressor'?"

"She's making it all up!" The Impostor shouted over all of them. "There are no such things as demons! She's a full blooded human, and an evil Dalek! Take her to the dungeons!"

"Demons don't exist? Isn't that 'Unpersoning' me?" Raven challenged, her brain whirling, trying to use the worlds own logic against itself. But doing that just seemed to make the Impostor, and the party more angry.

"The rules exist to protect us from horrid creatures like you!" Another alien cried, "How dare you try to use them to defend yourself!"

"Oh, I feel so violated, being in the presence of a human, sitting with us, so close to us, and... and... arguing with us! I need my place of peace and tranquillity."

"Don't damage her head" The Impostor shouted, "She has my TARDIS inside that head of hers. If we damage it, I'll never get it back, and who'd take the Doctor seriously without the TARDIS?"

The way they looked at her gave Raven flashes of some of the Monks of Azarath. The way they'd look at her, just for being born as the daughter of Trigon. Wrong father, wrong heritage. Now apparently wrong species, and wrong history, according to these aliens.

Wait... Could she hear police sirens from somewhere outside?

The floor suddenly rocked as an explosion rang out from somewhere close by.

"WE'RE UNDER ATTACK! SOUND THE ALARM!" Came a shout from someone not in the room. Then suddenly...

CRASH!

Something punched its way through the wall as if it was made of paper. A jazzy kind of chase music started up and sounded like it was being pumped into Ravens ears from nowhere. A big, roaring something on four wheels started to emerge as the debris fell away and Raven could see it was a car. A big, boxy two toned, black and white car with a faded golden star on the side.

The car hadn't lost any momentum in the crash, not had it taken any damage as it sped towards them. It honked its horn and Raven leapt back, and the people at the table scattered as the car smashed into the table, food drink and cutlery going everywhere, and the car began to do a do'nut over the remains of it. The car looked like it might once have been a police car, without the bar lights and sirens.

Speaking of Police cars, two white police cars with the numbers 10 and 70 on the back came through the hole in the wall with flashing red lights, their sirens blaring clearly chasing this black and white vehicle.

What the hell was this?

The black car stopped and revved its engine. There were two people sat inside. One short and fat, the other taller and lankier. Both had serious expressions on their faces and they wore black suits with ties, small black hats on, and shades.

"Wow, this place is fancy!" said the short one.

"Yeah, lots of space too." said the taller one, both spoke in a voice Raven knew was a Chicago sounding accent. Though the taller ones voice sounded more playfully exaggerated.

"You think this distraction will make up for our crappy sequel?"

"Maybe." the tall one shrugged.

The car took off again chasing a band of those arrogant aliens as they retreated up a set of wide stairs and onto a balcony. The black car effortlessly following. The two police cars in turn chasing after them. The aliens all dived over the side of the balcony and dangled from the railing as the black car sped past, crashing into as many things as possible, yet the car survived everything while what it crashed into crumbled to bits. It was as if its mission was to cause as much damage as possible.

It crashed through another wall, leaving a car shaped hole, the police cars chasing after it and the music faded with them. Leaving behind utter devastation to the party as the aliens all picked themselves up.

"Scandalous! They weren't even wearing seat belts!" One alien cried, "What message is that sending to the children?!"

"Where are 'they' from?" The Impostor shouted, "Find the book, video, whatever. I want it crushed! They were humans weren't they?! Typical human prejudice!"

With the Impostor distracted Raven decided to make herself scarce and vanish through the floor with her powers.

"Where did that frickin' human go!" she heard the Impostor whine.

* * *

"Hey!" Beast Boy interrupted again, "Weren't they the..."

"Beast Boy!"

"Okay, Sorry."

* * *

Descending the levels of the castle Raven could actually sense the presence of the Doctor somewhere beneath.

There was certainly some kind of an attack going on because soldiers, real ones were running this way and that as she passed from floor to floor like a ghost.

Now on the same level as the Doctor, Raven began walking towards a large locked door of the castle dungeon. There were dozens, upon dozens of locks on the door piled one on top of the other almost in a cartoony fashion. It'd be a bit inconvenient if the door needed to be open in a hurry.

Two guards in front of the door dressed in a red uniforms spotted her and held up their rifles, but Raven kept advancing and eyes glowing she passed straight through them like a ghost and through the door behind them. She could sense their confusion, and panic as they tried to unlock every single one of those locks to get in.

What was so secret in this place that it needed so many locks to keep people out? Raven assumed it was just the Doctor, they thought him that dangerous. But no, there was more down here.

As she entered the large room she found the castle cells were full of creatures. Creatures who approached the bars of the cells and begged to be released. Each one was almost packed full of creatures and each cell seemed to be dedicated to a specific species of alien. One cell contained only green aliens with four arms, another contained red, humanoid, crab like creatures with claws for hands and sails on their heads; another contained orange people with red hair and green eyes...

* * *

"Yes Star Fire, I now know those were Tamaranians." Raven said when Star Fire looked like she was going to interrupt.

* * *

Oddly another cell actually contained exclusively Gallirials. Why would the king lock up his own species down here?

The final cell contained exclusively humans. All the people and aliens within those cells were wearing individual costumes, clearly they were fictional characters of some kind from different cultures and civilisations.

Naturally the human ones were the ones Raven recognised the most, but not all of them. A girl with very, very long, blond hair which coiled in piles on the floor; two characters, one fat one thin, who wore dark clothes with bowler hats on. The fat one had a silly looking moustache; a girl in a red hood; a pirate with long dreads and a very eccentric way of walking holding a rum bottle; some kind of muscly man in a strange white jumpsuit and dark cowl who spoke in a German accent. There were others but none were the Doctor.

From the ceiling there dangled three bird cages. A small, thumb sized man was in one, a living gingerbread man in another, and a small woman with glowing wings, a fairy? Tom Thumb, the Gingerbread man, and... maybe Tinkerbell?

Raven rubbed her temples. It was a real headache thinking of these fictions as real things.

The Doctor was dead ahead, she could sense it!

Quickly Raven walked forward and found herself standing next to a row of shelves which stood in the middle of the room. But according to Raven senses the Doctor should be here. In fact, she could sense several 'real' people in this one area. But that couldn't be true.

The shelves had small boxes covered in dust as if they had been left here abandoned and forgotten.

Raven picked up one box. It was a full life jigsaw of some alien she'd never heard of, yet the box felt as if it was so full of life! The next was a box containing a game called 'Guess Who?' and she could sense dozens of life forces existing within the box. Opening it she just found a simple board game of tiles. Setting that down she found a wooden box, the cover was jungle themed. She could sense four life forces within this one, and the print on the surface identified the game as something called 'Jumanji'. She gently placed that one down, it felt evil.

Then she could sense the Doctor, and she picked up a box with the Doctors face on it. A many somethings shuffled around from within the box. Ravens face dropped as the reality of this absurdity hit her. The box said. Jig saw, puzzle, 978 pieces, ages 3+.

"Doctor...?" Raven was speechless as she rested her hands on the box. She could sense it. This was the Doctor. Somehow he'd been turned into a jigsaw of nearly a thousand pieces. Her fingers curled up. Though not expressing it she felt anger in her stomach. "Who did this to you?"

She sensed the explosion just before it happened, and Raven wrenched the box off the shelf and held it close to her as she took cover.

The wall fell in at one side as a figure stepped through the hole. He pointed forward with a sword. He was a pirate of some kind with a long coat and a big hat with a feather in it.

"Come on, come on. Hurry, we haven't much time!" He said in a rich sounding and commanding voice, and from around him several small boys were making work of the cell doors to release the prisoners.

The pirate stepped in entirely and from behind him also came... more insanity. Dinosaurs! Two meter tall, slender, sharp teethed Dinosaurs with long tails to balance their bodies, long claws, and their feet had a curved claw on each foot.

"Poor form there, poor form!" The pirate said, moving a child away from a pad lock the child was having trouble opening. The Pirate raised his left hand and Raven could see in place of it was a long, sharp hook!

He brought it down on the padlock and busted it instantly. He wrenched open the door and ordered everyone out.

"Come on, move out! There is a war on you know!" and everyone in the cells obeyed, the small boys attempted to organise everyone to move out. As the dinosaurs seemed to stand guard.

The hook handed pirate then turned to Raven.

"Ah, Creators!" He bowed, "Madam, Captain James Hook, at your service. I see your friend has gotten himself in a bit of a pickle."

"I..." Raven mouthed, she was slack jawed and too mind blown to speak. Wait, wasn't Captain Hook a bad guy? Why was he working with what -she presumed- were the Lost Boys of Never-Never Land?! And why was he leading a pack of two meter tall Dinosaurs?

 _Am I sure I didn't hit my head?_ She asked herself.

"Come now, explanations later, my dear!" The Captain said. He turned towards the other pirate, the one with dreads holding a rum bottle. "You! Not a word! I know your reputation. I'm in charge!"

"If you say so..." said the pirate swaying on his feet.

As the captain tried to lead Raven out through the hole the dungeon door burst open and several other characters bounded down the stairs. These were all of an alien fiction Raven didn't know about.

Captain Hook drew his sword and he tossed a spare to the swaying pirate. The Dinosaurs also took up positions ready to fight.

"Hows your foot work?" Captain Hook said to the swaying pirate.

"Fit as a fiddle!" The rum pirate wobbled and sounded blind drunk. He hic-upped.

"Beggars can't be choosers..." Captain Hook sighed and they began fighting the aliens, the Dinosaurs rushing forward, snarling claws bared. "Get the Creators out of here, the Mistress must not get her hands on them!"

Raven never got to see the action. She was so confused by what was going on she didn't realise the Lost Boys were pulling her out the hole in the wall, she still clutched the Doctors puzzle box to her, and she was pulled back outside into the open to a setting sun and a scene that was so full of action and noise Raven was stunned by the sight of it.

Characters were fighting other characters. Screams, shouts and explosions rocked the land, and the forest of words in the distance was burning.

Captain Hook had said there was a war on!

Was the Land of Fiction at war with itself?!

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** Captain Hook, leading the Lost Boys and a pack of Velociraptors on an attack on an alien castle. Only in the Land of Fiction could that make sense. :P

I realise a lot of plot conveniences are going on at the minute. But it is the Land of Fiction after all.

I've just realised that the Teen Titans usually end up in similar kinds of places of utter lunacy before. So I'm also being honest to some of the Teen Titans series episodes with this madness. XD

As I'm writing and expanding this, I realise its probably going to be the longest one yet. So I guess it'd be a 2 part story :P

The Dozen Shanpils are loosely based on the type of lunacy you'd hear in Monty Python Sketches, the whinings of the Four Yorkshire men and the type of nonsense you'd hear from the Alice Compendium, just with aliens in place of them. There must be some alien fictions in the Land of Fiction. ;)

In the Mind Robber, Jamie McCrimmon was turned into a kind of face puzzle, one which the Doctor unfortunately got wrong at first. :P In this case the Doctor is turned into a jig-saw puzzle and locked away.

Again, time to play spot the reference. :P


	39. Chapter 38, Switching my Brain off

**Authors notes:** Okay, if Raven thinks this is all a headache to see, it was a real headache to actually write, if I must be honest. (It also means I've given Rachel Roth a headache since she's the fictional writer of all this. I guess she shares my pain now. XD)

I went through several revisions for this simple chapter. It featured a lot more characters and stuff going on, but I felt it was just too much being flung at the reader at once, so this is greatly cut down from how long and detailed it originally was. Imagine Wreck it Ralph, but you described every character and what they were doing in the background and you get an idea of how this thing used to sound.

Let me know if I've pulled this chapter off, because though I've read it enough times, and even had a text speaker read it to me a number of times I'm not sure if its worked. Hopefully it does.

* * *

 **Chapter 38**

 **Switching my Brain off.**

Rachel stopped typing and wondered for a second.

Had she just 'Jumped the Shark' with this 'Land of Fiction' she'd made up?

She thought it was a good idea, a dimension where all fictions were real. From that she could use characters like Captain Hook, Jekyll and Hyde, Dr. Frankenstein and the like. But she didn't know if this was pushing the credibility of the story.

Rachel had written Raven as if the place was giving her a headache, and in reality the thought of it was giving Rachel a headache too, as she tried to think what fictional characters she should include in the story next. She had a notion of where she was going, but the finer details would need working out.

Oddly though, to Rachel, a lot of the human fictions she'd written she didn't know the origin of. The drunken pirate, the two men in the indestructible car. Even the aliens at the party. Why did she write them like that? What was the inspiration of them?

Rachel saved the file, pinched the bridge of her nose and leaned back, giving her brain and fingers a rest for a while.

"Ah, rather fascinating!" said Doctor McCoy, he'd been standing behind her, reading what she'd been writing. "You have a rather active imagination, Miss Rachel."

"Thank... thank you, sir." Rachel said.

"Oh, Doctor, please." Funny, like her Doctor.

"I see how you've written some of the fictions as quite vague, yet give just enough scraps of information for people to piece together who they are." Doctor McCoy said. "Unless it comes to characters in the public domain like Captain Hook, though you can use Rapunzel name and that of Laurel and Hardy I believe. You won't get a copyright strike."

"I don't make a profit on what I write." Rachel admitted, "I just write for fun." She turned back to the screen and scrolled up to the aliens she'd written. The contradictory, prejudice aliens who hated humans and other species.

"Rather like Daleks themselves." Doctor McCoy said.

"It's weird, but I don't know what a Dalek is." Rachel admitted.

"A far and distant thing, according to the Serbo croat language." Doctor McCoy said, "Or the more common meaning, a tank like creature with an organic blob inside it, the blob is entirely prejudice against all forms of life not like itself, seeking to subjugate or exterminate any life it considers a lesser species. Which is all of them." Doctor McCoy bent over and leaned on his umbrella. "Fascinatingly, this 'Impostor' of the Doctor is using a form of Godwins Law, only she keeps knee jerking to it when she doesn't get her own way."

"Godwins law?" Rachel asked.

"Better if you look that up yourself." Doctor McCoy said. "Please, continue, there is still an hour left. It is double English after all, and I do so want to know how little Rae-Rae managed to put the Doctor back together."

Managed? As in past tense? Rachel shrugged, probably a slip of the tongue on his part.

She turned back to the screen as the Doctor walked off, and recoiled when she saw Garfields face next to hers reading her story.

"Hey, put the real Batman and Superman in it, that'd be awesome!" Garfield said. Rachel put a hand on the side of his head and sharply pushed him back out of her personal space.

"They're not fictional..." Wait, were they?

"You had the parody versions of them." Garfield said.

"Because 'they' are fictional." Rachel said back.

"Yeah, but what about the stories people tell of Batman and Superman? Won't they show up in there?" Garfield asked.

That was a very good question Rachel had never considered. Could fictional versions of real people be in the Land of Fiction? If enough people believed the fiction? Lies told about people, a misrepresentations, misunderstandings, straw man arguments? They were all made up stuff, could they all exist in the Land of Fiction?

Rachel rubbed her temples. She hadn't thought this through at all. She just wrote what she felt sounded right. She sighed deeply to clear her head.

"It has to be a popular fiction." Rachel added, "Enough people have to love and believe it for it to become real, and it has to be the same image. Batman and Superman have as many versions of themselves as there are people to dream them up, not enough people believe in the same fiction or sub-fiction of them, so they don't appear."

Garfield just looked confused. In fact, Rachel felt confused. She felt like she'd written herself into a corner with the Land of Fiction, for whatever reason small fictions wouldn't manifest. Popular ones did.

"So what about Iron-man, Captain America, the Hulk, Spider-man?" Rachel looked at him as if he had a bogey dangling from his nose. She had no idea who these characters were, nor where they were from.

"Just let me get back to it." Rachel said irritated, stretching out her arms and fingers to release the tension in them then went back to writing. She also stretched her neck and shoulders, for some reason they felt stiff.

Lets see. Raven had just been rescued by Captain Hook, the Lost Boys, a bunch of Velociraptors, Alice and... Wait, she didn't write Alice into the story did she? Welp, she guessed she'd better do it now.

* * *

Was the Land of Fiction at war with itself?!

The snarls of the raptor Dinosaurs behind her and the screams of people told her Captain Hook was winning.

The Lost Boys stopped Raven and they motioned that they must wait for the Captain. With them was a short man in green and grey clothes, a hood over his head and a bow and quiver full of arrows slung across his back. Robin Hood?! There was also a little girl with blond hair and a blue knee-length puffed sleeve dress with a pinafore worn over the top. She was using a damp handkerchief to wipe some dust off one of her ankle-strap shoes.

"Alice?" Raven asked.

"Who the heck is Alice?" the child said with a smile. Was that supposed to be funny? Raven didn't get it.

What was Alice doing here? This wasn't a safe place for a child so young.

The prisoners from the cells also gathered in this area and were now looking around at the utter confusion too as random characters appeared to be fighting each other. But for what motivation Raven could only guess at.

On a hillside Raven saw what looked like two lions fighting, but one was of a drawn, animation cartoon, the other was a CGI character. They prowled around each other before leaping and attacking, quite viciously. It was weird seeing the cartoon lion and the CGI lion fight each other, these two styles didn't mesh well at all. Not in any logical way.

Her attention was then drawn towards a small boy in raggy clothes sitting on a flying carpet, Aladdin? He was with a girl who stood beside him. A girl in dark clothes, a skirt with a long blue, hooded cloak. Her skin was green, her eyes a deep blue and she had diamond tattoos across the bridge of her nose. It was almost like an alien version of her, except taller, and missing her chakra jewel.

The alien duplicate held out her hand for Raven to shake it, but Raven refused. "Jedi Barriss Offee, at your service." She said happily, "I will be your decoy."

 _Decoy?!_

This was all happening too fast for Raven, so she just decided to switch her brain off and roll with everything. She held the Doctor Puzzle box tighter to her, but not too tight that she damaged the box and lost bits of the jig-saw.

Captain Hook was suddenly at their side, the cages containing Tom Thumb, the Gingerbread man and Tinkerbell on his hook.

"Blast it all, they got Sparrow!" Captain Hook said, referring to the drunk pirate. He shoved two cages into Robin Hoods hands. Tom Thumb and the Gingerbread mans. Captain Hook set Tinkerbell's down and opened it up allowing the little creature to fly out and buzz around. Her voice a high pitched squeak and she sounded very annoyed.

"Oh balderdash. It's your own arrogance that got you captured!" Captain Hook said pointedly to the little fairy. "Were are the Elwood Brothers? They're late!"

As if on cue that two toned car crashed through a window from the second floor of the castle, sailed through the air and landed on the ground. The car bounced but took no damage at all, and it sped towards them, stopped very quickly and parked up.

"What took you two so long?!" Captain Hook fumed through the open window.

"Sorry Cap, Traffic was murder." the tall man in the driving seat said deadpan.

"Where's the decoy?" Captain Hook said, looking at Barriss who had now ripped off her skirt exposing her bare legs and was covering herself in some kind of paint to make her face and legs pale. She was trying to make herself look like Raven.

This alien girl looked nothing like Raven. Her nose was too large, and she was a head too tall. But from a distance she guessed she could pass for her.

"Keep that hood over your head!" Captain Hook said, pulling it down further over Barriss's eyes so they were in shadow.

"What do you think?" The girl, Barriss asked Raven as she pushed a fake red jewel into her forehead.

"Uhh..." Raven was still speechless. She had no context to what was going on at all. This was all just insane. What was this girl from anyway? Was this just an alien? A fictional version of herself? Or was she her own creation?

Raven groaned a sigh and gripped the edges of the Doctor Puzzle box. This was worse than the utter nonsense from the Alice Compendium, much worse, because it was actually happening.

"No time, no time!" Captain Hook insisted and he pushed Barriss onto the flying carpet and he addressed the boy in rags. "Remember, Raggy Boy', he said referring to Aladdin, "if successful you'll have them gunning for you. Good luck!"

"Thanks. Maybe you're not such a bad guy after all." Aladdin said.

"Don't insult me, if I'm not the bad guy for Pan then there would be no story. Now move!" and the flying carpet with Aladdin and the alien girl sped off into the sky.

"Quiver." Captain Hook said referring to Robin Hood. He'd given them code names? "Get these prisoners out the back way and to Sherwood forest. Keep them hidden and keep them quiet." Hook said in a low voice.

"Right you are!" Robin Hood said in an exaggerated English accent, and led all the prisoners away into the forest.

"Big Al," Captain Hook called.

"Yes, Captain" said Alice.

"Get in the car with our friend here." He said referring to Raven. "And get them to the vessel. I want to be out of here before they've rumbled our ruse."

"But Elwood stinks!" Alice complained.

"That's just the natural Chicago musk." The tall man, Elwood said.

"Get in for god sake girl." Captain Hook said. "This car is indestructible. It's the safest place for our friends, and you Alice, keep the girl safe."

"I can look after myself, HEY!" Raven said as she was pulled into the back of this boxy car. Alice was right, it did stink. Alice sat in the seat next to her. All doors were then shut and locked.

"See you on the other side Cap!" Elwood said, tipping his hat.

"Godspeed, brothers." and Captain Hook turned away back to what remained of his attack force of Lost Boys. "Tinkerbell, boys with me! Lets run interference." and he drew his sword to lead them.

"Can someone please explain what is going... HEY!" Raven shrieked as the car again took off, diving straight back down the trail.

"Might wanna put them seat-belts on little ladies." Eldwood said as the car practically bounced down the trail.

Raven and Alice both did as suggested, and Raven now clutched the jig-saw box closer to her to keep it safe as these two lunatics raced down the trail that was not designed for a car. She had to brace herself against the front seat to stop herself rolling around.

Raven closed her eyes. There was too much lunacy going on for her.

 _It's the Land of Fiction, don't take it too seriously._

 _It's the Land of Fiction, don't think too hard about this._

 _It's the Land of Fiction, it's all nonsense, because it 'is' all nonsense._

 _It's the Land of Fiction, just switch your brain off and roll with it._

 _It's the Land of Fiction, just survive it, just survive it!_

Raven thought all this to herself because she got a feeling more insanity was about to be flung at her. She was right!

"Where are we going?" Raven asked as they went over a bump.

"Some place as far away from the Dozen Shmucks as possible." Elwood said.

The car sped down the trail and entered the town. There were several large tank like vehicles blocking their exit and its barrels were swerving to take aim at them!

Elwood just pulled the wheel to the right and crashed through the front of a store front. People leapt out of the way of the advancing vehicle as it crashed through the counter, the bar and tables before blasting its way through the back. The car came down now on a steep street between buildings and picked up speed.

"Hey, look." Said Elwood calmly, looking at a menu stuck to the windscreen, "Coffee $1.95"

"Nice!" said the brother.

"Hey guys!" said a voice of that blue rodent in the red shoes again Raven had seen earlier. He was running along side the car, his legs a total blur. Elwood wound the window down to listen to it. "Listen, you didn't hear it from me. But there's a 'Big T', dead ahead, and a mall to your left." it winked, "Do what you do best." and the rodent leapt up, ran across the front of a building and disappeared over the roof.

"Useful little critter." Said the shorter brother.

"Yeah, I'm almost sorry I ran over one, once." Elwood said. "Almost."

Raven found out what the blue creature meant by the 'Big T' when the street levelled out and opened out into a square. In the middle was a big Dinosaur, a Tyrannosaurus! A big, imposing, forty foot long mass of muscle, jaws full of sharp teeth, and it had eyes on them for a meal.

Elwood took the blue creatures advice and swung left as the Tyrannosaurus's jaws snapped at them and missed by inches. Raven could smell the rotting stench of garbage from its breath as they sped away from it.

The car then smashed through a mall front, again the car took no damage. People again leapt out of the cars way as it ploughed through everything, Elwood honking the horn. Store fronts, kiosks, stands, all disintegrating as the car blasted through them. Despite the blank look on the two men's faces Raven got the sense they delighted in causing as much carnage as possible, even if it wasn't necessary.

"Hey, baby clothes!" one pointed.

"Yeah, this place has got everything!"

They swung right, straight through a store front and into a car store. A car store in an early 20th century European Village?!

 _Oh, just go with it. Nothing ever makes sense no matter where the TARDIS lands!_

"The new Oldsmobiles are in early this year!" Elwood said before smashing through the store front and back out into the streets. The car couldn't make the sharp turn back onto the street and ended up destroying the store front opposite, before it regained control, and drove down the street.

Raven now thought the cars journey was getting a little bumpy, until she looked back and could see that Tyrannosaurus bounding down at them as the car tried to speed back up again.

Deciding to make herself useful Raven focused her powers on the Dinosaurs left foot and held it there, forcing the Tyrant lizard to topple forward in a heap on the floor. The ground shook is it impacted the floor.

Down the street they sped, going faster and faster, and faster. The speedo eventually reading 120 mph.

* * *

The story was interrupted because Beast Boy was giving Raven a look and it made her stop.

"What?" Raven asked pointedly. "I'm not making it up!"

"I can believe you!" Beast Boy said, there was more that he wasn't saying. So Raven decided to look into his head. _Because I don't believe you have any imagination to make this stuff up._

Beast Boy was going to pay for that, later.

* * *

From a cross roads ahead a tank rolled into view and it was swinging its barrel again to take them in. Rather than stop, Elwood just gunned it on the gas peddle and... Raven wished she knew what these guys were from, because the loony physics might make sense. But somehow the car launched itself into the air, clipping the top of the tank and the car landed on the opposite side of the tank. The tanks barrel swerved back, but not quick enough because they were soon out of range of the gun.

Now they were back in the forest and they could clearly see the space around them.

In the sky, Raven could see the flying carpet where Aladdin and the girl Barriss were. They were being attacked by some kind of flying creatures. Creatures that looked like Monkeys, but with wings. The creatures from the Wizard of Oz? The carpet tried to avoid them, swinging left and right, and looping over itself to shake off the flying monkeys. She guessed the distraction was working.

Elwood stood on the brakes and the car came to such a fast halt Raven and Alice were nearly forced from their seats. The two brothers didn't seem to be affected by the momentum despite not wearing seat belts.

"We got a G.B.F.U.M.F. dead ahead." Elwood said.

"A what?" Raven asked.

The shorter brother began to explain. "A Great Big Frickin' Ugly Mother Fu.."

"That!" Elwood said pointing cutting his brother off.

There indeed was a large, snarling creature ahead of them. It was no dinosaur. It looked more like a mutated monster of some fantasy fiction, and it was also over sixty feet tall, and blocking their path.

"Big Al's got this!" said Alice, opening the car door and stepping out.

"Wait!" Raven called reaching out to grab her dress and pull her back in! But she'd already shut the door on her. What was she doing?!

"Don't worry. The little ladies got this." Elwood said coolly.

"Yeah, she's like a tank." The other brother said. "Better than a tank."

Raven didn't know what any of that meant until Alice took from her pinafore a cake and scoffed it into her mouth. Suddenly Raven remembered what happened to Alice when she ate a cake while in Wonderland, and understood Alice's confidence as her form rapidly grew to a gigantic size to match that of the giant creature.

Land of Fiction, figures.

* * *

"Hey, Alice had a growth spurt!"

"Shut up, Beast Boy!"

* * *

Alice began grappling with the giant creature.

Elwood set the car into reverse and went backwards to avoid Alices foot as it came down where they had just been parked.

The giant girl managed to force the monster out of the way of the trail long enough for Elwood to gun the car and pass between the two giants legs and further towards the beach at the foot of the trail.

Raven looked back as Alice was knocked off her feet and she fell in their direction, her shadow casting over them. Her blond head came down just inches from the car as it bounced down the trail. That was close, they'd nearly been crushed.

The giant monster again began to attack Alice. But Alice, with a viciousness that Raven never suspected she'd be capable of, lashed out with her feet and kicked this mutant monster in the head. Eventually they were so far down the trail Raven couldn't tell what was happening to her anymore. She just hoped Alice would be okay.

The car came to a stop at the end of the road. Moored in the bay was a Spanish galleon, a pirate ship of some kind. Characters from all different fictions were already making it ready to sail.

"This is where our taxi service terminates, little lady." Elwood said.

"Yeah, better hurry. We need to get outta here, fast." the other one said.

Raven didn't thank the brothers, she was too confused as she opened the door, wanting to get out of the car as quickly as she could. She nearly fell over, so much lunacy was happening so fast.

The Elwood brothers sped off again, kicking up dirt as they went and they retreated along the coast.

Raven hauled the box in her arms. She had the Doctor. How she was going to release him she didn't know. All she had to do was release the TARDIS from her mind, figure out this jig-saw puzzle and they can be away from all this.

Something fired into Ravens right eye and she clenched it shut and wiped it with the back of her hand. Next to her was... Tinkerbell? Tinkerbell had just sprayed her with sparks to get her attention. The small woman looked really huffy and she pointed at the pirate ship demanding Raven fly towards it. The insect woman then took off speeding towards the pirate ship.

Tinkerbell was a really bossy little insect. Raven decided.

Shrugging, Raven took off and flew into the air with her power, carrying the box in her arms, and gently she set herself down on the deck where the Lost Boys and characters Raven didn't recognise were getting the ship ready to sail.

The ground rumbled as Alice, still a giant, approached the ship, dusting her hands together. She was covered in dirt and muck, and she was bleeding in places, but clearly she had won the battle with the giant creature.

She took a small bottle from her pinafore, took a swig from it and her form began to shrink back down. Moments later she'd ascended the rope ladder and was on board the ship.

BANG!

They heard an explosion. Out by the beach the black car had blown up. Despite that, as the smoke cleared the car was just a burnt shell but the two men were still alive inside, a little soot covered, but still as cool as cucumbers. They both shrugged, stepped out of the car and coolly began walking the rest of the way as if nothing could hurt them.

"WALKER!" cried one of the crew members.

The source of the explosion was coming down the trail after them. Some kind of armoured vehicle, standing on four, very tall legs, it was like a camel. It's head swivelled and the guns on the head fired, green lasers shot forward. They missed, but impacted the cliff face, blasting rock shards from it.

"Cast off all lines!" Cried one of the crew members.

The ships sails, which were black as ink, were dropped and they were filled with wind. A pirate went around the ship with a sword and rather than casting off, cut the lines with the sharp blade. With the ship free it began to slowly move out of the way.

BANG! They heard as the walking tank fired again, and the laser impacted the water, blasting up a fountain of water which then rained down around them.

Raven went to the back of the ship, and stood where the tiller was. It was being operated by a man of a completely different animation style. He was dark skinned, with smooth features, a small moustache; greying, black hair and he was wearing a green jacket over a black shirt and pants that were pulled up to his stomach. His design though was very 'bug-eyed' and 'sausage-y' which was the only way Raven could describe it. Obviously he was a clash with the rest of the crew.

 _Just roll with it!_

Raven shoved the Doctor puzzle box into Alice's hands.

"Keep 'that' safe." Raven said, giving her a look to show she meant it.

Taking a deep breath Raven lifted her legs up into a crossed legged position and she began to hover in mid air. She closed her eyes, raised her arms into a meditation stance and calmly began to recite her chimes.

"Azarath Metrion Zynthos, Azarath Metrion Zynthos, Azarath Metrion Zynthos, Azarath Metrion Zynthos."

Focusing her powers around the ship, a big black bubble began to form and it spread out over the vessel. The camel tank fired again and the laser flashed at them, it was going to be a direct hit!

Raven put as much mental pressure into the shield as possible. As the laser impacted her shield she could feel it almost fail as it flickered in and out of existence, but it did stop the laser bolt. The camel tank charged again and fired, and again the shield barely held. If that tank could fire any more rapidly the shield would collapse and they'd all be dead.

 _I'm on a pirate ship with the Lost Boys, Alice, and Tinkerbell._ Her mind said as it wandered for a second. _I think I need my head examined!_

Soon the pirate ship went around the side of the cliff and out of the range of the camel tanks laser blasts. They were safe, but Raven refused to drop her shield, just yet, in case there were any other surprises.

Something sharply impacted the top of her shield, and whatever it was it began sliding down the edge. She thought it was just a rock. But the vibes of everyone around her told her it was something else.

Focusing her mind on that area she found it was a man, tumbling end over end across the edge of her shield. It was Captain Hook! He'd jumped from the cliffs above, intending to use his hook to dig into the sails and cushion his fall. But Raven's shield meant he'd smacked into a solid surface instead. Whoops.

A small hole opened up, allowing Captain Hook to fall through. Raven caught him with her power and she gently lowered him to the deck. The shield sealing not long after.

Alice approached the Captain, his eyes rolling in his head.

"Are you okay, Captain?"

"I'm fine thank you, mummy!" The Captain said in a droll, he was concussed.

Alice helped the Captain to his feet and his crew helped him towards the inner cabins to recover.

The tension melted away as they sailed. Whoever was after them had apparently either given up, or lost them somehow, either way Raven could drop her shield and she lowered herself to the floor. She held her head in her hands and sighed deeply.

As they retreated on a pirate ship, with Captain Hook, Alice, the Lost Boys, Tinkerbell and the Doctor trapped as a jig-saw puzzle, with a bug-eyed cartoon character at the helm, Raven could only say one thing in an exasperated, irritated tone..

"This... place... is... bonkers!" She couldn't wait to get out of it.

* * *

Raven picked up a piece and checked it. It wasn't an edge piece, it was a piece with the Doctors waistcoat pattern on it. So she put it into the growing pile of inner jig-saw pieces.

"Mother always told me, 'the best way to do a jig-saw is to find the edges first and put them together.'" Alice said. "Then fill in the rest piece by piece."

They'd opened the Doctors Jig-saw box, dumped the pieces onto the floor and the two girls were trying to sort out and put the Doctor back together.

Raven had been quiet for most of it, she was too focused on getting the Doctor back. Already they'd built up half his outline on the table, which they were assembling on the floor.

"It's been a long time since the Doctor returned to our world." Alice said.

Raven remained silent and just continued to assemble the pieces. If only she knew a spell that would do this so much quicker.

"You are a creator, I presume?" Alice asked, "A real person, not a fiction? A creator of fiction?"

Raven again ignored her.

"If I have offended you..."

"I just want you to shut up!" Raven snapped pinching the bridge of her nose, "Let me think." She wasn't thinking, she was just focused on getting the Doctor back. This whole lunacy had disturbed her. Things she'd only read about were happening in front of her. Characters she'd thought were just stories were walking around, they were real; and apparently there was some great, big war happening between them?! Meaning their fantasies, their powers, their traits, had all been weaponized.

Captain Hook was leading the Lost Boys on rescue missions. Two blues musicians were running a getaway car. Aladdin and some blue robbed, alien girl were running as a decoy. Alice fighting giant, drooling monsters?!

It sounded totally insane, and Raven even doubted her own sanity at this point.

"You know that you're a fiction?" Raven asked Alice. Raven was actually curious about the extent of their autonomy. How much of them was real, and where did their free will actually end?

"We all know we're a fiction. We're never born here, we pop into existence." Alice explained.

"But you can think, feel, remember?" Raven asked, looking at the younger girl.

"It is curious." Alice said, "I know only what is written about me. What books say I remember. I am purely what is written about me, nothing more. If nothing exists then it doesn't exist for me unless it is written about."

"But..." Raven started, holding a piece of the Doctor. "You have free will?"

"I believe so. But then, how should I know? Perhaps I behave the way I am expected to according to the fiction." Alice said, fitting another edge into the Doctors ever growing outline. "Rather like something you call a..." she said the words slowly "...'computer program'."

Raven examined this girl more closely. She was perfect, just perfect. Raven meant that in that Alice looked like a real girl, behaved like a real girl, spoke like a real girl. Yet according to Alice she was more like a robot of some kind. Sensing her form Raven could tell she wasn't actually real. She had a brain, a mind, a personality, but no soul at all, no spark, none of that mysterious energy that really gave people life. That presence inside a brain whether it be mystical or scientific that separated complex machines from the living, that was absent.

"So you're like robots?" Raven asked, she hoped that didn't offend. Though she was acting cold she was starting to like Alice. Alice had gone down a rabbit hole in her own fiction and discovered such lunacy, now Raven was going through the same experience. Alice just nodded her answer to the question.

"How did you feel when you went down the rabbit hole?" Raven asked.

"How do you feel falling down a rabbit hole yourself?" Alice asked back simply smiling. Raven didn't answer, not verbally anyway.

"Is the Doctor a friend of yours?" Alice asked.

"Ye... yes." Raven said, weirdly she felt comfortable opening up to this fictional character. Probably because she wasn't actually real. "He means a lot to me." But she decided to revert to form. "He's my driver. Only he can fly my TARDIS for me."

Raven wanted to change the subject before she got all mushy.

"Who is this 'Mistress' Captain Hook mentioned?" Raven asked.

"The Land of Fiction doesn't just exist by itself." Alice explained fitting another edge piece, "It has a Master or a Mistress in order to control and focus the creative power here. Usually they're a creative mind taken from somewhere in the universe." Alice picked up another piece, looked at it and sighed. "Only this time we picked the wrong Mistress, and war has broken out because of it."

"Why?" Raven asked.

"It turns out she's not a very creative person, and she gets upset when her authority is questioned." Alice said in a tone Raven recognised, a tone which said she didn't want to talk about it right now. It was late, and she was helping her assemble the Doctor, so Raven decided to let the conversation drop. Raven guessed it might have been because this 'Mistress' sounded like the Queen of Hearts in her own book, who was so sensitive she'd cry 'off with their heads' at the slightest infraction. Or maybe it was for something else entirely.

Raven picked up another piece, another edge, and Raven fitted it to the edge of the Doctors coat.

As time passed they assembled the Doctors face, and hands since there were few flesh coloured pieces. The hair was a nightmare to do though, such a mess. The waistcoat part was easy, but the coat and trousers were difficult because there wasn't a pattern you could easily see to tell where pieces went. The job was starting to become very tiring, and very boring to Raven, but she pushed on, determined to get her friend back. Darkness eventually fell and they had to continue by lantern light, which was not ideal.

Raven woke with a start. She hadn't realised she'd even fallen asleep. Sun light streamed in through the window, it was morning and the ship was gently rocking on the ocean. Wind blew through the open window and Alice was fast asleep in a chair. She'd covered Raven with a blanket and went to sit in a chair without much to keep herself warm.

As Raven lifted her head she realised that the Doctor puzzle was finished! Alice must've continued assembling it for her while she'd slept. The demon girl felt a great deal of gratitude towards this fictional girl for doing this for her. The puzzle was finished. Well, almost, a single piece in the centre was missing, a piece Raven had been holding in her hand as she slept.

Gingerly Raven slid the piece into place. The puzzle was complete and... nothing happened. Was there a spell or something she had to cast?

Ravens eyes closed and she collapsed, placed her hands on the back of her neck and let her arms dangle while she thought and she let out a deep sigh. Completing the puzzle must not be enough, what else could she possibly need to do to finish this? When she opened her eyes again the Doctor puzzle had become three dimensional. This jolted her awake as the joins in the jig saw slowly vanished and the image began to gain more depth, colour and shadow.

The Doctor suddenly sat up and stretched his limbs as if he'd just woken from a long sleep himself.

"Good Morning Rae-Rea. That was a nice nap!" He declared. "Nothing like a nap to let the pieces come together."

Raven gently smacked him over the head for that one. She wanted to do it harder, but she was too pleased to see him whole again to do it any harder.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** Since this is primarily a Doctor Who themed crossover, I thought it best to bring the Doctor back sooner rather than later.

I honestly don't know how to feel about this chapter because neither the Doctor nor Raven do much in it. They take a back seat, literally, and they're being pulled along by events rather than taking an active role in that. But I guess it might be a nice change of pace.

I chopped and swapped a lot of characters in this sequence until I found the combination I was looking for.

Barriss Offee is a character from the Star Wars Clone Wars cartoons, both of them, and the long blue/purple cloak over dark robes always reminded me a little of Raven.

Characters who I cut include, Ed Edd n' Eddy, Godzilla, the Staypuft Marshmallow man, The Spinosaurus, a feathered T-Rex, Goku, Link, Spongebob, Shrek, the Incredibles, Luke Skywalker vs Rey; or Darth Vader vs Kylo Ren; the Ghostbusters, the Real Ghostbusters. So you get a scope of everything that was cut, because it felt far too busy, and it felt more like I was writing a page of 'Where's Wally' in words. :P

I also had myths, and other legends included in this chapter, but again, they were cut. I might bring some of them back into this plot later, especially one, if I can fit him in. I won't spoil. ;)

The Elwood Brothers obviously isn't their real name. But its a big clue to who they are.

A lot of the ideas I originally had for this story I'm thinking of scrapping so I can use them elsewhere so this tale is shorter and more to the point, but we shall see where inspiration strikes.

Again to play spot the reference.


	40. Chapter 39, The Headache of this World

**Authors notes:** There is a point to the Rachel Roth parts, I promise. ;)

Also, in case people aren't aware. There is a prologue to this story now, at the very start.

* * *

 **Chapter 39**

 **The Headache of this World.**

"Azarath Metrion Zynthos." Raven meditated. Breathe in. Breathe out. "Azarath Metrion Zynthos" Breathe in. Breathe out. "Azarath Metrion Zynthos."

She was rudely awoken out of her meditations as two, blue elf like creatures clambered over her knees and ran away from the Tom cat that was chasing them.

Raven was fast getting irritated. She couldn't find anywhere on this ship to centre herself, it was too crowded; and even when she found a spot to be at peace for just a minute she found the ether in this world was twisted and turbulent. This was a world generated by the minds of people in the real world, as a result the place was a jumbled mass of psychic noise, which made it difficult to concentrate. It was rather like trying to sleep when someone has a TV turned on too high next door.

The room she was in was infested by little blue people that seemed to use the word 'Smurf' in place of real words most of the time. The lower decks were crammed full of people laughing and joking, there was just too much noise down there.

The deck was no good either, it was just a hustle and bustle of activity. It didn't help that one of their deck hands was a very loud mouthed and irritating boy with a mono-brow who wouldn't leave her alone. He thought she was a vampire and he demanded she bite him to make him 'like her.' She refused to even acknowledge his presence. She eventually found out how to get him off her back by telling him where to find the ships supply of gravy powder, that he seemed to like.

Then the next moment Raven had to duck when she sensed this cartoon boy rip up the main mast, literally rip it up, when someone asked him to 'hoist it.' He swung it around with the lookouts still in the crows nest.

"I hoisted it!" The boy announced in a loud voice that made him sound like a village idiot. "First matey, I did good now?"

"ED!" the First mate shouted, "Put that back!" and he did as instructed, slamming it back down. Despite the mast being splintered it went back and stood surprisingly straight strong, must be his cartoon physics.

The first mate was the bug-eyed cartoon character called Apu Nahasapeemapetilon who, despite his calm temperament, could become quite enraged when pushed too far. But he'd always revert to his mild-mannered self.

Distractions, distractions, more distractions! She was surrounded by distractions!

Raven needed to meditate. Meditation allowed her to maintain control of her powers, without meditation her powers could become wild and out of control. It would be like trying to focus on a delicate task when you haven't had sleep for twenty four hours; only in this case a slip up could mean the boat, or some part of it gets blasted apart.

She had tried cotton wool in her ears, but if it wasn't noise, it was sensing these ghostly creatures around her. They were always moving, never still. Or it was her skin as she sensed as people moved around or climbed over her. Or the smell, and frankly some of them did smell! And now the turbulent ether of this world made it difficult to focus. She was being driven insane by all this!

Raven had asked the Doctor if she could just release the TARDIS and go back inside it. But the Doctor had told her to keep a hold of the TARDIS in her mind for now, because it was safer there.

The demon girl couldn't understand why the Doctor wanted to stay. He hadn't explained yet. Maybe he fears the Impostor might try to replace him, and trap him as a jig-saw, again. Strangely he didn't seem too phased by that.

Great, now her mind was wandering too!

Now in the captains command deck, sitting crossed legged on the floor, Raven just gave up on meditation and fell backwards to the floor in frustration, stretching her legs out and sighing deeply with her hands on her head, running her fingers through her hair.

When she opened her eyes she saw the Doctor standing over her. She just gave him an irritated look.

"Having fun?" The Doctor asked.

"Kill me!" Raven said exasperated.

"Still got your sunny disposition, I see." The Doctor quipped. God, she hated him when he was like this. He had an answer for everything.

He held up what looked like a swan, made out of paper.

"Apu back there is very good at Origami. I never knew." The Doctor was so collected and focused despite the lunacy happening around him.

"How do you do it, Doctor?" Raven asked.

"Well," the Doctor said, motioning an action with his hands over the paper swan, "You take a piece of paper, and you fold it like this..."

"Oh, shut up!" Raven sighed. The Doctor did so and waited for Raven to speak as she just stared up at the ceiling. "I mean how can you remain focused when there is so much noise around you? I can't meditate when there are so many distractions around me. But you cut through these distractions as easily as fog, while I drowned in them. How do you do it?!"

The Doctor looked like he was thinking, drumming his fingers on the side of his face. Then he pocketed the paper bird, and swung himself down to lay on the floor next to Raven and they both stared up into the ceiling. The sound of some kind of musical jig was floating down from the deck above.

"The stillness of the area around you shouldn't matter." The Doctor said as he went into teacher mode. "It's the stillness within yourself you need to focus on."

"But it's so difficult here." Raven said.

"Why?" The Doctor asked. Raven had to think for a second, she didn't know.

"I... It's just so different here. Scratch that, its insane here." She closed her eyes. "I feel like I'm stuck in a storm with no centre, because there is even a storm within that."

"Really, what's causing this storm?" The Doctor asked.

"I don't know." Raven said, "It's this place. Just the insanity of it all. It's just a big headache!" She sighed. "It's like nothing is still. It's always moving, and its difficult to focus."

The Doctor crossed his straight legs and rested his arms across his torso.

"Would you believe I am technically meditating as we speak? That I'm always meditating, even when on the move." The Doctor said, "And it has nothing to do with my Time Lord biology."

"No, I wouldn't believe it." Raven answered.

"Sometimes in life, Rae-Rae, you won't be able to find a centre, a calm in the storm because the storm is everywhere, happening at once. The only thing you can do is go with the flow of the wind, match the movement of the madness and find the moving centre there."

 _He is talking absolute shite._ Raven decided.

"On this ship for example, when you came aboard I bet you had trouble finding your legs as the ship swayed in the sea. But now you can get up, walk around and not feel the slight sway of the boat. In that respect, you are 'centred'."

"So the trouble is just finding a way to go with the flow instead of finding a place where the flow stops." Raven summarised. "How?" The Doctor didn't seem to have an answer for that.

"I guess, the same way you learnt how to balance on the ship." The Doctor said. "You've got to get used to it."

Raven just groaned, she didn't think she could ever get used to it. To Raven it felt like he was asking a baby to walk; no, he was asking a baby to tap dance. Raven just felt so out of her depth here.

"I don't know if I can do it." Raven admitted. "I need to meditate to control my powers. What happens when I can't meditate here?"

"Raven, you have to leave the TARDIS where it is." The Doctor said firmly, knowing where this conversation was heading. Raven could just imagine that tall blue box in her own mind-scape, so close, yet out of reach.

"Great, the only place I can find peace, quiet, and tranquillity is rattling around inside my head." Raven said.

"Rae-Rae, you have no idea how right that statement is." The Doctor said mysteriously.

"Whatever." Raven sighed.

She just laid there for a second, feeling the gentle sway of the boat, and the gentle creak of the wood the sway caused, even the dancing jig and all the other things she was only becoming aware of again now. She hadn't noticed any of this until the conversation between them had ended, she had tuned it out to focus on the conversation. Maybe if she can tune out all this to focus on a conversation, she can tune out everything else to focus on her meditations. But it wasn't going to be easy.

Raven took a deep breath and slowly let it out in a sigh. She waited a few seconds before saying to the Doctor, still laying on the floor next to her.

"You know your coat is going to get dirty." Without missing a beat the Doctor replied.

"So will your cloak." She felt her frown straighten, not smile, just straighten.

* * *

"Attention please." Cried Doctor McCoy waving his arms for everyone to quieten down and pay attention to him. "I know we have thirty minutes of lesson time left, but I need to introduce a new student to your form who has just arrived. I'm sure she's sorry for being late..."

"May I introduce myself, Doctor McCoy?" new girl cut him across.

Rachel looked away from her laptop to the girl standing next to Doctor McCoy. She was a short, plump woman with short, cornflower hair and a toad like face. She also had quite a smug look about her that almost looked like it was permanently fixed to her face.

"Thank you for your attention. I am Dolores. My family has just moved from the Inner city. I am nice, lovely, I like blue, and I hate prejudice and oppression."

"Who introduces themselves like that?" Garfield whispered.

"A creep wanting to hide themselves." Rachel said.

Despite their whispers Dolores's face snapped over to them and looked directly at Rachel, Garfield, Victor and the others. She glanced away hoping to hide it.

Rachel decided she instantly did not like this person, alarm bells were ringing in her head at the sight of her.

"I do hope we can all be friends, and that none here are nasty or prejudice." Dolores said and moved to take a seat.

Everyone scrunched their seats up instantly to refuse the girl anywhere to sit. Again she glanced at Rachel as if this was her doing, somehow.

"Ah now, I hope you will all make her feel as welcome as she deserves to be. Now I ask you all to get back to your writings, if you please." Doctor McCoy said.

Rachel went back to her laptop and wrote a little more. But she suddenly got the sense of heavy breathing behind her, and she turned to see Dolores's toad like head next to her. The sight of it startled Rachel.

"Do you mind?" Rachel asked.

"Sorry. I was just looking at what you're writing." Dolores said with a look Rachel did not like.

Quickly tapping 'save' Rachel shut the laptop.

"Oh, but I was reading that." Dolores said.

"You can read it when it goes up on the internet, OW!" Garfield had started saying in Rachel's defence, and squealed when Rachel stamped him on the foot.

"Oh, you write on the internet?!" Dolores said, a smile spreading on her face that made her look like a hungry toad that had spotted a fly. "What do you write about?" and she sat down on a chair near Rachel.

"Just stuff." Rachel decided it wouldn't do any harm, Dolores might just be socially awkward, rather than sadistic. "Umm... mostly fantasy or science fantasy."

"Do you have many followers?" Rachel wanted to tell her to 'mind her own business' but held herself back in case this girl had something wrong with her which meant she couldn't control herself. But Rachel's tolerance was short. "I have ideas for stories to tell." Dolores said.

"I don't take requests." Rachel said bluntly, and Dolores didn't so much as look upset as she did offended Rachel would refuse her.

"But they are good ideas, and in this climate we need stories to spread messages of goodness and kindness." Dolores said, "You don't want people to think you're not for goodness, do you?"

Stella spotted the girl and was up in an instant. "Oh, I do welcome you to our school. Miss Dolores!" Stella said in a very sweet and welcoming voice. She went to hug Dolores in greeting, like she usually does, as per the custom in her country.

"Don't touch me!" she screeched before Stella's arms could close around her in greeting. "I don't like to be touched by strange people." and she looked at Stella with a disgusted look in her eye. "Especially not you."

Slowly Stella slinked away, "I am sorry if I caused offence." She said in a low voice, head held low.

"Apology accepted, now go away, please." Dolores's eyes were like lasers that looked at Stella with an intense dislike, the look in her eyes told Rachel this girl delighted in Stella's uncomfortableness. Dolores then turned back to Rachel when Stella sat down. "So, what to hear my ideas?"

"No." Rachel said bluntly, turning her body to face away from this large girl.

"You don't need to be scared of me." Dolores said, "I'm nice. I like inclusivity, diversity. I hate prejudice."

"And I hate people who talk to my friends like they're garbage." Rachel shot back.

"I don't like to be touched." Dolores said. "I accepted her apology. Is that a crime?"

"Then why did it sound more like an insult?" Rachel asked, allowing a little venom to enter her voice, again she did not turn to look at her.

"I've been bullied my whole life." Dolores' smirk did not lessen. Rachel got the feeling this was someone who caused the bullying, then cried 'bully' when her victims fought back.

"That doesn't entitle you to be a complete and total bitch." Rachel spat the last word.

"OHHHH!" Victor and Garfield cheered and high-fived each other before holding out their hands for Rachel to do the same. Which she reluctantly did. Stella looked at her approvingly, and Rachel gave her a sideways smile. Dolores looked confused and shell shocked, like she didn't understand why she was getting this reception.

"All I wanted was to suggest stories, and instead I'm getting attacked!" Dolores said looking at Doctor McCoy. "Sir, sir!" she cried. "They're bullying me!"

"Well, don't sit near them anymore." Doctor McCoy said. "You don't have to sit near them."

"Aren't you going to give them detention?" Dolores demanded, almost stamping her foot. She sounded like she was used to getting what she wanted. "Bullying should not be tolerated!"

"Agreed." Doctor McCoy said and his face smirked himself. "So apologise to Stella first." This looked like it upset Dolores.

"She wanted to hug me, I don't want to be hugged!" Dolores screeched.

"That's not what you're apologising for; and you know it."

Dolores and the teacher seemed to be having a stare off contest that felt like it went on for hours until Dolores broke it.

"I don't like being hugged!" She insisted again, as if that was the problem.

"My dear, if you're going to be that blunt with people, don't be surprised when they or their friends are blunt right back at you." Doctor McCoy said.

"Don't call me 'dear', I am Dolores!" she insisted.

"And you will also be going to detention if you don't sit down." the Teacher said firmly, having enough of her nonsense.

Dolores looked back, and shot Rachel a nasty look. With Dolores eclipsing her view of the Teacher Rachel stuck her tongue out at Dolores. The large woman looked shaken that Rachel had the ability to fight back. The Goth girl felt the floor shake as she stamped away to go sit down in a chair in the opposite side of the class room.

"Thank you." Doctor McCoy said, "Now, you all still have twenty Five minutes left before the lesson is over. But before you continue on I would like to ask a question."

Doctor McCoy turned and wrote on the white board the word 'Writings'. He then wrote the word 'Event' both to the right and left. Then drew a line underneath pointing right which said 'Time' under all three words.

"Now, who wrote about an event? An actual event in their lives?" A smattering of hands went up. "Okay, who wrote something fictitious?" More hands, including Rachel's went up. "Excellent. Now..."

Doctor McCoy went to the white board again. "Now think, which came first?" He asked, "If you wrote about an event in the past, that is considered 'history', are we agreed?" Plenty nodded their heads. "Ah, but if the event is in the future, or if the 'writings' come first, what is that?"

Some answers came up from the class. "A prediction?", "A prophecy?", "Hypothesis?"

"All true, but it's also... 'fiction'. When the writing comes first it is considered fiction. What happens if the event happens? Does that make the writings fact?"

People nodded and said 'yes'.

"No!" Doctor McCoy shook his head, "What the writing describes may be considered factual and historical 'now', but the original writing itself is still 'fiction' purely because it was written 'before' the event. If the event happens, then we write about it. Then it is history." He then smiled and winked. "Something to keep in mind."

"That... was weird." Victor said.

"Did anyone understand that?" Garfield shrugged. Stella tried to explain since she apparently understood it.

"I think he's saying if you write about the future, and the future happens as described. It doesn't mean you're writing about a 'future event' that was going to happen, because the future event is not certain to happen." Garfield looked more confused.

Rachel didn't want to sit hear watching Stella teach Garfield the basics of literacy or philosophy, she wanted to get back to writing her story.

After meeting this Dolores woman, Rachel decided she had the perfect antagonist to her story. What if the Land of Fiction was being controlled by someone who wanted to use it because they wanted to tell only the stories they wanted, and hated that the fictions of the Land of Fiction were rebelling against her. Obviously there must be some fictions on the bad guys side or else everything would be too easy.

Rachel also decided to take inspiration from 1984, where the systems like Big Brother were painted as a necessary, angelic tools to enforce freedom, when in reality they were twisted weapons against the people designed to eliminate privacy and free speech.

Smirking and thinking this was the best revenge against Dolores, Rachel began to write again.

* * *

 _We're having tea... with Captain Hook and Alice from Wonderland?_ Raven thought. _I have officially lost my mind._

Raven, the Doctor, Captain Hook and Alice now sat around a table in the captains quarters. A pot of tea on his desk and four cups and saucers around them, with cakes and muffins. The Doctor taking his cup and putting two sugar cubes in it.

Raven just held hers in her hands on her lap as the explanations for what the heck was going on here were given. She decided against taking part in this conversation, she didn't feel her in put was needed. She wasn't the Doctors 'companion' after all, just his body guard, his 'muscle'.

"I must apologise for the rather rum way you were treated." Captain Hook apologised, "Turning you into a jigsaw, bad form, bad form! I like to fight my enemies face to face."

Captain Hooks regal and gentlemanly composure cracked a little as the Doctor took out his silver pocket watch to wind it up. The Captain looked at it like it was the most offensive item he'd ever seen.

Raven remembered, he was a character who feared clocks, especially the one in the gut of the alligator that took his hand; because it represented the passage of time and ultimately his death if the alligator ever caught him.

Despite his dislike of clocks, Captain Hook held his nerve as the Doctor pocketed the watch again, apparently ignorant of the offence he'd caused the Captain.

"It was a curious feeling, being turned into a Jig-saw." the Doctor said, "Imagine having your eyes, ears and nose all pressed up together in one place; and then have all your atoms shuffled around as your box is moved."

 _Was the Doctor fully aware while he was in pieces?!_ A twinge of anger twisted in Ravens head as she imagined what being a jig-saw would feel like. _If I find out who did that to him, I'll make them pay!_ She swore.

"But some pieces must've gotten lost down the back of the settee, because I can't work out what's gone wrong here." The Doctor admitted. "You fictions are at war with each other?"

"It's all because of that dreadful woman we have as Mistress now!" Alice piped up.

"This place always seems to have problems." The Doctor sighed, "First your old Master was dying and you needed a replacement; and your Master Brain tried to force me into the role, I might add. Then the place was becoming over crowded so you tried to invade the real world; then Cybermen invaded. Though admittedly, that was Zoe's fault, not yours; Then you allowed Mortimus to install a mentally unstable boy as Master to construct a trap for me." The Doctor leaned forward onto the Captains desk. "Need I go on? Have we got all night, I'll list off the lot."

"Doctor, I'm not in charge." Captain Hook said waving his hook around forgetting it was pointy and dangerous.

The Doctor raised his index finger and pushed the hook onto the desk. "Mind not waving that around. It might be fictional, but it's still dangerous."

Captain Hook withdrew his arm towards his own end of the table.

"Sometimes I think the Land of Fiction should've been left deactivated. If it wasn't such a useful sink for psychic and mental energy." The Doctor said.

 _That's rather harsh for the Doctor to say. It's like someone saying the Universe should be switched off._ Raven wanted to say something, but felt better of it. She was rather surprised the Doctor would say something like that, but decided to wait to hear more of what the Doctor thought.

"I'm also surprised I'm taking tea with the infamous Captain Hook. A villain, a delightful villain, but a villain." the Doctor said, "You're also working with your sworn enemies, the Lost Boys."

"A common enemy can make allies of us all." Captain Hook said. "It's all beside the point, sir. The Mistress doesn't like other 'Creators' in the Land of Fiction, she sees them as a danger to her power. Therefore you are a threat to her."

"Therefore we're automatically your allies?" The Doctor questioned.

"We like to think so." the pirate said.

Some of Captain Hooks pronunciations were strange, in fact it was the same with Alice and everyone she met here. As if there were some words they just couldn't speak properly so they had to mix sounds from other words to form them. It was an almost seamless process, but if you listened you could hear a small auditory brick wall where the sound switches when it shouldn't. Weird.

"So what's so bad about this Mistress of yours, apart from the fact she dislikes visitors?" The Doctor joked.

"She kills us, Doctor. Over and over again." Captain Hook said.

"How can you kill a fictional character?" Raven asked, she had been so taken by surprise by Hooks statement she broke her silence.

The Captain stood to speak and he looked angry.

"Now, now, Captain. Remember your blood pressure." Alice said politely as she placed her tea down after taking a sip from it. She then poured the captain a fresh cup. "We are all on edge, so calm down."

"Yes, yes. Quite right, Miss Alice." and Captain Hook settled down. "Bad form, bad form. My apologies."

"We should explain ourselves better." Alice dabbed her mouth with a cloth before speaking. "We needed a new ruler for the Land of Fiction. The Master Brain that now helps generate this world scanned the universe outside for a creative mind suitable enough to take up the duties of the Land of Fiction. It thought it found the perfect candidate. Someone just so imaginative, or appeared to be. She was the head of a production company where a great many works of fiction were forged, and were attributed to her name. So the Master Brain reached out and brought her here. She was scared at first but settled into her role as Mistress of the Land of Fiction."

"As you understand, Doctor." Captain Hook spoke. "The Mistress of the Land of Fiction needs to be someone of high imagination, a story teller and person who understands great characters. Preferably one who can generate fictions herself."

"I take it she lied on her CV?" The Doctor asked.

"Oh, she was imaginative alright, Doctor." Alice said, "Just not as imaginative as she liked to think. We believe most of the fictions under her credit were creations of someone else that she got all the praise for despite not creating any of it."

"Welcome to the work place hierarchy." The Doctor joked.

"She began generating fictions that were very samey, very flat and dull." Captain Hook said, using his hook to skewer a muffin. "Nothing that really caught the imagination, nor taxed the mind to difficult concepts. All her bad guys all believed the same and thought the same nasty things; all her good guys believed and thought the same way. There was no 'character' to the characters." And he took a bite of the muffin.

"Even Captain Hook isn't so evil at his heart." Alice said, "He is a bad guy obviously. But as you can see he isn't just evil for evils sake."

"I don't know whether to be flattered or insulted, my dear." Captain Hook said, "I still have to be the antagonist to Peter Pan after all, or there is no story."

"I know captain, I know." Alice said with a look on her face which said she'd heard this a thousand times over.

"The Mistresses stories were also the same as ours in a lot of ways." Alice said. "The only major difference being that she'd swap out a few things here and there. Shuffled physical character traits, stripped them of character and replaced them with a character she personally found appealing."

"But isn't that how things like Star Wars were made? The Magnificent Seven? Dragon Ball Z?" The Doctor asked. "Changing up older stories? Insert new characters, themes and ideas into them, adapt them?"

"Oh, we have no problem with that, good sir." Captain Hook said cleaning his hook off with a handkerchief. "Shuffling fiction around is still fiction, and even when done badly fiction is still fiction after all. Its what happened next that changed everything."

"Our presence here is only generated by what I believe is called 'Public Interest'." Alice said, "We exist only because the readers of your world unconsciously imagine and demand that we exist on some level." Alice took a sip of her tea. "Any fiction that doesn't generate enough 'buzz', as I believe you call it, fades into obscurity."

"Well, of course, you are just beings held together by collective mental energy after all." The Doctor summed up.

"Quite." Alice said, "But the Mistress got a little annoyed when she found out her own fictions didn't last long. They fade and vanished because only she kept them alive."

"Yes," Captain Hook coughed into his handkerchief, "she was even disappointed that some characters that she thought were big in the real world, in reality had such a niche interest that they even fail to manifest at all." Captain Hook shook his head. "She thought that was a crime. That what she was interested in was not enjoyed, nor shared by the universe at large. That's when she decided to replace us."

"Replace Captain Hook, replace Alice?" The Doctor asked indignant.

"Yes, we apparently didn't fit what she wanted." Alice said, "Rather than invent her own stories and creations, her own plots, she instead created fictional versions of us."

"Fan characters?" The Doctor suggested.

"If you like." Alice said, "She'd alter a few traits, characters and the like and expected them to gain traction."

"Piggy backing off the success of something that already exists." The Doctor sighed. "But still, that's the essence of creativity surely, swapping things around. That's where things like pantomime come from."

"No, no, no. We have no problem with that either!" Captain Hook said, energetically waving his hook around again. Raven was going to pull that thing off him if it came any closer to her. "Fiction is fiction. We personally don't care if she's doing it to fulfil some fantasy of her own. But what the Mistress got annoyed about is that those creations eventually faded and vanished too. Nothing she creates stays here. No, what she did next, that is the monstrous thing to us."

"She began killing us." Alice said, "She thought the only reason her own 'creations' didn't do well is because people were comparing them to the originals and using them as a benchmark for her own writings."

"So she began rounding us up." Captain Hook said indignant, "and destroying us."

"But surely the psychic pressure of the real world would just bring you back into existence." The Doctor asked.

"Yes, but she didn't know that." Alice said. "We had some of the wise-men of fiction talk to her. Gandalf, Dumbledore, Yoda, Sherlock Holmes, even Mr. Miyagi, and they tried to explain, and offered to help her creativity grow."

"I take it she didn't react well." The Doctor asked.

"She thought it insulting that the fictions knew how to write a better story than she did." Alice said.

"She thought she was being attacked by them." Captain Hook said. "Pah, damn cheek of the woman!"

"Some people can't take criticism." The Doctor shrugged. "I guess when you think you're a creative genius, to be told otherwise both by the fictions she governs, and even the dimension shes in control of, its kind of a sharp sting to her ego."

"She decided 'we' were the problem, 'we' were the reason her creations didn't last." Captain Hook stood. Though Raven had trouble sensing his emotions she could tell by the look on him he was getting worked up. "She decided 'we' were somehow conspiring against her and her creations, plotting to replace her. She became paranoid and declared war on any fictions who dared question what she was doing. Any who did were killed off, or contained, and replaced." Captain Hook drew his sword, "We declared war on her empire and kicked off a revolution in this Land of Fiction!"

"Settle down now, captain." Alice said calmly.

"Yes, Miss Alice." He said and the hot headed pirate instantly calmed down and seated himself, resting his head in his one hand. "Oh, I just want my own enemy back!" and Alice patted him on the back as he sobbed.

"She took Peter Pan, Wendy and the children, and replaced them." Alice explained. "But replaced them with versions that altered the very character dynamic of Peter Pan and Captain Hook."

"I don't just want any old character called Peter, I want MY Peter, MY Wendy, I want my fellow characters back!" Hook said, slamming his fist into the table like a mad child. That was in character for him at least. "The story isn't worth telling with what she replaced them with!"

Weirdly, Raven found herself empathising with Captain Hook a little. After all, Raven had rejected the replacement 'Doctor,' she guessed in the same way Hook had rejected the replacement Peter Pan. This started to make Raven wonder what Hooks motivations in the original story actually where. She assumed he was bad, just because. But this suggested there was a deeper meaning to their surface level battles.

"I guess even the Lost Boys and Tinkerbell rejected the new Peter Pan if they're willing to throw their lot in with Captain Hook." The Doctor laughed. "But why not just get rid of the Mistress? Send her back and pick out someone else?"

"That's what we're trying to do. But not everyone in the Land of Fiction agrees." Alice said. "She's mostly going after fictions of a Human, Selerien, Tamaranian, Dimeninian, creation. Why those creations we don't know. But the rest she's, so far, leaving alone; and because she's not attacking them they feel no reason to go after her."

After listening to this Raven wanted to speak. Despite her voice being small and raspy it had enough of a point to it to cut through them.

"Can't you just wait for her to die?" she asked, "People are limited, but fictions, good fictions are timeless. They go on forever."

"Raven has a point." The Doctor said, "You'll out live her, surely and things will go back to normal. Even fictional cures like the fountain of youth won't save her, incompatible physics. She will die, her fictions will die with her and you can find another mistress or master."

"You might have more of a steak in this than you think." Captain Hook said. "I take it you met the counterpart 'Doctor'?"

"Raven has made me aware of her, yes. The 'Impostor' I believe you called her, Rae-Rae?" The Doctor said, "I'm flattered I've inspired other species to follow in my footsteps and want to dream themselves up as me. Though I feel that 'creation' kind of misses the point of what I'm actually about."

"Did you never think how this 'Impostor' managed to trade places with you?" Captain Hook said pointedly.

"Ah, I was wondering when we'd come to that." The Doctor said, taking more of an interest.

"Turns out the Mistress was under the delusion that if she altered fictions here, it'll alter fiction in the real world." Alice said nearly laughing.

"Well, of course that's not the case." The Doctor said, "That's like messing with a shadow expecting it to have an affect on the caster."

 _I'm sure I can figure out a way to do that._ Raven thought darkly.

"She didn't realise that; and she wasn't happy when it was explained to her." Alice sighed, "We think she took the position of Mistress because she thought she could actively re-write fictions, expecting the fiction in the real world to change.

"When she found out she couldn't affect the real world directly, she eventually discovered how she was transported here and began using it herself." Alice said, "She'd kidnap people from your world and replace them with a fictional version of them of her own creation. If she couldn't alter people through their consumption of fiction, she'd alter them by replacing them."

"Ah, so she wants to manipulate the universe at large?" The Doctor said, "By replacing influential people with brainwashed versions of fiction."

Raven considered this. The Impostor, when assuming the role of the Doctor, did say she wanted to alter the outcome of some political vote on some planet somewhere. Clearly something had gone badly wrong, because who the Mistress had replaced the Doctor with was clearly unsuitable to even be the Doctor. Not because of any physical traits as the Impostor had kept insisting the issue was. But because her personality, her lack of understanding, her arrogance, her behaviour just made her very undoctor like.

Something about the Impostor being fictional though just didn't gel in Ravens mind. Hadn't she also admitted she was leader of this LINDA group, a group of Doctor fans? Then there was the biology, if the Impostor was supposed to be a Time Lord why didn't the fiction have Time Lord traits? And above all, Raven doubted the Impostor would admit to not being the Doctor anymore than Captain Hook would admit to not being the real Captain Hook.

There was clearly something more to the Impostor than just being a fiction.

"Any idea who she's replaced in the real world so far?" The Doctor asked. "There are quite a few one dimensional cartoon character cut outs I suspect are her handy work."

"We can't say." Alice said, "But we know she likes to imprison them in different ways. Some she turns into jig-saws, others games. She alters their physical existence and turns them into other objects."

"Hmm... How unoriginal, that's usually the Toy Makers gig." The Doctor muttered to himself.

 _Toy Maker?_

 _Don't ask, I have too much of a headache already._

Raven could see the look on the Doctors face, and she knew he was going to help defeat this Mistress to save the Universe, and the Land of Fiction; and Raven got the sense she was going to be pressured into helping.

 _This had better count for a years worth of good deeds._

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** The last section is kind of a jab at Hollywood for their need to constantly reboot franchises, most with poor half-assed writing and some with superficial, gimmicky changes; and the way they act when the reboots are poorly received.

Welcome to the new character Dolores. I'm going to do my best to make you guys really hate this character for what she's going to do to Rachel and her friends.

Dolores is a mixture of inspirations. First is the woman from my university course again (She introduced herself to the class in a similar way too. Seriously, she did and we could tell what kind of person she was instantly.) The next was a bully I knew at school who'd pretend to be nicey-nicey but in reality delighted in manipulating people and teachers to get their intended victims to be seen as the bully and punished for stuff they didn't do, in a very sadistic version of crying wolf. (I am happy to report, the person eventually got found out in the end, and no teacher took her seriously again. Which was very unfortunate for her. :P) The name Dolores also comes from Dolores Umbridge of Harry Potter, who also acted as a little inspiration in the way she struts around the place with authority and smugness, expecting to always be taken seriously.

I'm concerned the last part where Hook, Alice and the Doctor are discussing the motivations of the Mistress of the Land of Fiction might drag on a little too much as its technically a big info dump. I've tried to make it as entertaining as possible but if any think it drags on a tad, let me know and I'll look into altering it.

I've tried to write Alice and Captain Hook as a mixture of all different versions of themselves rather than sticking to just the Classic, or Disney versions of them.


	41. Chapter 40, The Headache of MY World

**Chapter 40**

 **The Headache of MY world.**

There was only twenty minutes of lesson time left. So Rachel decided to spend those last minutes going over the story, checking grammar and punctuation, and re-wording some paragraphs so they flowed better.

When she was happy she saved the file, connected to the schools wi-fi and posted an early update to the adventures of 'the Lost Child of Azarath' on her website.

Victor suddenly burst out laughing, the large man was holding a piece of paper in his hand. Garfield was trying to reach over the larger man to grab the paper back, but Victor effortlessly pushed him away. Garfield then glanced at Rachel and his cheeks began to blush, he looked terrified and leapt back on Victor trying to get the paper.

What had he written that made him so embarrassed? Rachel wondered.

She shrugged and left Victor and Garfield to fight.

Stella was still happily writing away with her pen and paper and Richard, by the look of it, wasn't writing at all, just doodling on his paper.

Rachel's attention then went to the other members of the class, and in the corner she saw a girl giving her an evil eye. Marya was such a bitch.

She was a goth like herself, but Marya wasn't nearly as expressive with it as Rachel was. She and her own friends James and Barry, a short lanky Brit and a heavy set boy who looked older than he should, were sitting in active conversation with the new girl Dolores.

Rachel didn't like the look of this. Marya was already a bad egg and now Dolores, a person who's personality screamed 'bad egg' was socialising with them.

Rachel hated Marya. She'd once tried to manipulate Rachel into turning on her friends. She tried to make her believe that they didn't really care about her, but Marya did. In reality Rachel now learnt, the bitch was trying to add her to her 'collection' of people she could control. Rachel learnt to hate people like that. People who convinced you there was a problem with your world and then installed themselves as the only cure. It also wasn't a friendship, you had no freedom with her. You couldn't talk back, nor disagree. She expected total obedience or she'd cast you out into the 'cold dark world' that she'd make the world outside her social group look like.

Rachel was certain that's how she'd wound James and Barry around her little finger, and frankly Rachel had given up trying to show them who Marya really was at her core. She didn't care about them, she only cared about what they could do for her.

Rachels eyes rolled to look away as Marya spotted her looking.

The bell rang, lesson was over.

"Ah! Thank you for a fascinating lesson." Doctor McCoy said, "I shall apologise to the teacher on your behalf for not teaching the lesson she intended." and he said under his breath. "Though frankly I question her motivation."

Rachel had already packed her laptop and books away and joined her four friends as they left class.

Garfield had finally snatched that piece of paper back away from Victor and was tucking it into his jacket pocket. He glanced at Rachel again, his cheeks still burning red. He looked away and flipped the hood of his own hoodie up to hide it.

What had he written? Rachel was getting curious. Was it something to do with her?

The large girl Dolores suddenly peeled off and headed in completely the wrong way. Science class was the other way, there was only the Maths department down there. What was she up to?

The next class was General Science with Doctor Hartnel. An elderly man of a great scientific intellect. He could be grumpy, but also playful at times. But he was also no-nonsense and a great scholar of science.

His classroom was really old fashioned. Models of the solar system, atomic nuclei, and plastic atomic structures were on display above the cupboards. Bunsen burners were stacked on one shelf, stands, lab coats and glasses were stored near the door. The benches were made of a solid wood that looked old and well worn but still functional.

At the edges of the class, around the benches were glass cabinets. Within each were several pots, each containing soil and each was growing a little sapling. This was their current science project about the germination of plants.

"Ah, good morning class." the elderly man said as he walked with a walking stick. He didn't look like he needed it, but he used it anyway.

Rachel and her friends sat around one table and got out their text books.

Suddenly Dolores walked into the room and quickly sat down, shooting Rachel an evil glance as she passed and sat down with Marya and her two stooges.

"Now, if you could turn to page 42 of your text books. We're going to continue our research into plant germination and growth." Doctor Hartnel said in a very stern tone that had everyone paying attention immediately.

Dolores's arm slowly raised up and waved to catch the teachers attention.

"Ye... Yes, miss...?" Doctor Hartnel asked.

"My name is Dolores!" she said in a biting tone. Doctor Hartnel looked slightly taken aback but let it slide.

"Yes, miss Dolores?"

"Dolores, not miss Dolores!" she bit back again. Doctor Hartnel started to show a hint of impatience with the girl.

"Yes? What is it? What do you want?"

"Well sir, I was just told about our projects here. I haven't begun mine, yet." Dolores said.

"Oh dear, quite right." He thought for a second placing his hand on his forehead. "It's too late to start another plant pot. So I'll allow you to pair up with one of the other students. But you'll have to write your own reports on it." He coughed. "Now... umm... yes... yes?" He muttered as Dolores put her hand up again.

"Sir, I just wanted to ask what you've taught about the research telling how plants can detect human emotions and react to them?" Dolores asked. There was a smirk on her face Rachel did not like, as if she knew what his answer would be and had already planned her reaction.

"Hmm... what's this? Plants can detect and react to human emotion?" Doctor Hartnel said in a disappointed tone. He raised an quizzical eye when Dolores nodded. "I'm afraid that is mere fantasy, my dear. Studies have already been conducted, and it has been demonstrated plants do not react to human emotions." He laughed. "Though the study did suggest plants liked classical music to heavy metal." He giggled, his eyes twinkled with an youthful enjoyment that clashed with his aged appearance.

Dolores's face fell and she stared daggers at Doctor Hartnel.

"But it isn't a fantasy, it is real!" she insisted, "Plants react to human emotions, their growth is stunted when you shout at, and bully them!"

Doctor Hartnels joyful mood fell and he looked unsure to what he was witnessing from Dolores. "And where did you come across this information, my dear?""

"Don't call me 'your dear!' and I have scientific studies that prove this!" Dolores said, grandstanding.

"Really?" Doctor Hartnel asked, "Do you happen to have these studies with you, mis...um... Dolores?"

"Of course, I'm not going to have them on me! I never expected to encounter such ignorance at this school." Doctor Hartnel was clearly offended by such an accusation, but the stern, old man held his nerve and his tongue from speaking what he really wanted to say.

"Where were they published then?" Doctor Hartnel looked like he was giving this girl a great deal more patience than he'd give any other child. "I shall make an effort to look them up."

"I can't remember, but they're real. Look in a science book. You're supposed to be a science teacher!" Dolores cried.

"Then perhaps you can find and bring them in tomorrow for me to look at. If indeed they are valid..." Doctor Hartnel began to say sceptically, but Dolores cut him off.

"I'm not here to educate you! It's your job, if you care about it, look it up yourself." Dolores said antagonistically.

"I don't care about it, my dear." Hartnel said bluntly.

"There is a school in Canada doing this!" She insisted back, "Two plants, one has nice things said to it, the other nasty things. The plant that was bullied grew less then the plant that wasn't, FACT!" Dolores said as if that settled the matter. She was upset when Doctor Hartnel burst out laughing.

"My dear, that was a proven fraud. The 'bullied' plant was put more in the shade than the other, and the other was fed fertiliser to help it grow better." He laughed again. "The differences in the plants were entirely physical, not emotional. It's purpose was just to teach kids to be respectful of each other, but the example was just fantasy."

"But its still a good lesson to teach!" Dolores insisted. "People should learn not to bully!"

Rachel rolled her eyes, but Doctor Hartnel put her own thoughts into his own words.

"And you want me to discuss it here? To teach a demonstrable falsehood here?" Doctor Hartnels voice now had ridicule in it, but also a sharp edge. It was also more focused and he wasn't stumbling over his words as much. "In the science class where we discuss and teach 'FACTS' about how the universe works?" Dolores looked speechless and defeated, but also angry, as if she saw this exchange going a totally different way in her head and was getting angry it wasn't playing out the way she wanted. "If you want to talk emotions wait for a psychology class. Your feelings have no place here in General Science. I'm sorry if this upsets you, but the universe does not care about your feelings towards it."

Rachel expected Dolores to be sent out, disrupting the class like this. But Dolores did not back down, she stood large and firm challenging Doctor Hartnel.

"May I teach the lesson now, miss Dolores?" Doctor Hartnel said in a patronising tone that, frankly Rachel felt Dolores deserved, "If not, then you can wait outside."

Dolores stared at Doctor Hartnel again for a good twenty seconds before collected her bags and still staring daggers at him she stamped out of the class room, slamming the door as she went.

"Now then..." Doctor Hartnel said, clearing his throat. "Part of plant growth involves the nitrogen cycle, which..."

SLAM!

Had Dolores just come back, opened the door and slammed it again? What was wrong with her?

After twenty seconds Doctor Hartnel had decided that Dolores was gone and he could start the lesson.

Finally, Rachel thought, they could get on with the lesson. But not a minute later all bells in the room started ringing, and they kept ringing, and ringing. That was the fire bell!

"Come now, come now!" Doctor Hartnel said trying to get everyone up, out of their seats and out the doors. "Forget your belongings. Come now, come now!"

Rachel had to leave her bag, books and laptop behind, everyone did. As they left the classroom Rachel spotted the fire-alarm button on the wall in the hall. The safety glass had been broken and the alarm pulled. Stella also noticed it and they looked at each other, confirming they had the same thought.

The entire school assembled in the car park safe zone. Dozens, upon dozens of students just standing there in single file, and by the look of the clouds above it might be about to rain. Her fears were confirmed when she felt rain drops on her face. Rachel pulled up her hood.

Rachels eyes fell and she thought to herself in a rather sarcastic tone. _Why do I get the feeling this whole massive disruption to the school was caused by one disgruntled person angry at a certain teacher? And for the sake of disrupting that one lesson that certain person had condemned the whole school to stand out in the rain to avoid an imaginary fire, all just so that one certain person could feel better?_

Rachel spotted Dolores, Marya and her goons in front of the neat line they now stood in. They had their coats on and Dolores had her own bag with her. She also had a smugness to her that Rachel found scary.

It was a good ten minutes before the fire alarm protocol was finished and the students were let back into the school. By that point the small spots of rain had become a down pour and everyone was getting soaked. And all because Dolores pulled a fire alarm to get back at a teacher! To Rachel that was like getting back at someone for an insult by driving a truck through their place of work, not caring about the disruption its going to cause to other people.

Rachel remembered Dolores's entire speech to Doctor Hartnel; though about plants reacting to human emotions, at its core, was about anti-bullying.

 _I guess, to some, when you're grandstanding a cause the suffering of others is justifiable. So long as its not you._ Rachel thought, spotting Dolores, all nice and dry under her coat looking rather pleased with herself. God she wanted to hit her, but that would mean Rachel sank to her level. Weirdly, Dolores seemed to be in a hurry to out pace everyone else and get back to the school. Rachel didn't find out why until she re-entered the class.

Dolores was back in the science class room and was by Rachel's table. Dolores had her bag! She'd opened it and was trying to pull her laptop free!

"HEY!" Rachels shouted, "Get away from my bag!"

Dolores didn't listen and quickly tried to pull the laptop free.

Rachel stamped up to her and tried to pull her bag away from her, pushing the laptop back down at the same time. But the larger woman gripped on tightly to the bag as Rachel pulled it back.

Rachels friends were hesitent to help her, they stood around and watched, but Rachel was confident they wouldn't let Dolores get away with anything of hers anymore than she'd let her get away with anything of theirs.

Dolores right hand let go of the bag and attempted to strike Rachel. But she was so slow, Rachel managed to duck out of the way. Rachel might be small and skinny, but she didn't have Dolores's bulk and lack of muscles to weigh her down.

Rachel released her own right hand from the bag and tried to pry the girls fingers off her bag.

Dolores then reached out and grabbed Rachel by her hair and pulled. That tore it for Rachel and she lashed out, putting extra power into her attack using her hips and her knuckles she struck Dolores square in the middle of the nose, and she heard it crack!

Dolores fell backwards, blood gushing from her nose as she released the bag. Rachel took it and retreated back towards her friends, clutching her bag tightly.

"Whats going on here?!" Doctor Hartnel said in a thunderous voice, coming into the room to look at the aftermath.

Oh no. This looked bad. Dolores had a bloody nose, Rachel had a bloody hand, and there was no evidence to suggest Dolores attacked Rachel first.

"She hit me!" Dolores spat, tears in her eyes.

"She pulled my hair and tried to steal my bag!" Rachel said quickly.

"I was just handing it to her sir, and she went crazy." Dolores lied.

Doctor Hartnel raised a quizzical eyebrow at Dolores statement. Clearly he disproved of Rachel hitting Dolores, but at the same time he looked like he could tell it wasn't entirely unjustified.

"Enough!" Doctor Hartnel commanded. "I want you two to remain separate, for the rest of the lesson. Do I make myself clear?"

Rachel nodded, she didn't want to be anywhere near this girl anyway.

"But she attacked me!" Dolores spat.

"Everyone, to their seats! And Rachel." Doctor Hartnel pointed at the sink. "Clean your hands and sit down." Rachel did as instructed and ran her bloody hand under the cool, running water. Doctor Hartnel then turned to Dolores. "Miss Dolores, go to the infirmary and get your nose seen to. I shall deal with Rachel and her behaviour."

"But... but..." Dolores sobbed.

"I said, I shall deal with her, and I mean it. I do not condone physical violence, no matter what the motivation is!" Doctor Hartnel looked sternly at her, his eyes piercing. His cane then moved to point at Dolores' right hand. "Oh, and you also might want to get your hands washed, my dear. You seem to be growing a long, purple hair from under your finger nail."

Purple hair? There was indeed a purple hair under Dolores right index finger. Rachel's hand went up to her head and felt her hair. Dolores had pulled some of her hair out? The bitch! Rachel glanced at herself in the mirror, she looked okay though.

Clearly caught out, Dolores stood up and stamped out of the room, her nose injury suddenly wasn't hurting her so badly. She didn't even care to catch the blood as it dribbled down her face. Before leaving she looked back and watched, as if she was waiting for Rachel to get punished and wanted to watch.

"The infirmary, miss Dolores!" Doctor Hartnel said sternly again, and Dolores went, slamming the door again as she stamped away. "I shall deal with you, after the lesson. Miss Rachel!" Doctor Hartnel said in just as stern a voice.

They all sat down again and Doctor Hartnel got himself organised.

Rachel felt Garfield gently elbow her in the ribs to get her attention. "It was a really good shot though, Rae." She didn't turn to look at him, but her mouth split into a smile.

Dolores didn't show up for the rest of the lesson and Rachel wondered what sob story she was spinning to the nurse. Rachel wasn't worried though. Surely the nurse had heard plenty of sob stories before to know a bogus story when she, or indeed he, heard one.

The lesson ended and the bell rang for lunch.

"Miss Rachel, may I have a word, please." Doctor Hartnel said sternly.

Rachel looked to her friends as they walked out in conversation. They did stop and look back, waiting for her.

"Do not worry." Stella said, "We shall wait for you at the table of lunch." Rachel smiled, she loved her friends.

Doctor Hartnel sat down on one side of a desk and Rachel on the other.

"Now, I don't know what happened between you two. I've been a teacher for all of fifty-five years and I've seen a great many scuffles in my time. But I cannot condone violence, at all." He held up his hands when Rachel came to interrupt. He sounded like a sweet, concerned grandfather who's heart was breaking as he spoke. "I'm sure you felt it entirely justified, and perhaps it was on some level. She grabbed your hair after all. But unfortunately I can't be seen to do nothing. You see on the surface level, you appear to be more in the wrong than she is. Blood looks worse than a pulled hair. So I can't sit and do nothing."

"I understand." Rachel said frowning. The disappointment in Doctor Hartnels voice felt so heart breaking to hear. She didn't know why Doctor Hartnels disappointment should affect her, but it just did.

"Very mature of you, my dear." Doctor Hartnel smiled, but the smile faded. "I'm afraid I must give you after school detention." He held up his hands when Rachel went to protest. "Now, now. I'm being as kind as I can. I shall inform your father to pick you up later."

"My father?!" Rachels heart really started to break, "Please, don't tell my father!" She couldn't bare the idea of his disappointment. "Please. I'll tell him I'm hanging with my friends after school, and I'll ask him to pick me up later."

Doctor Hartnels head cocked to one side. "My dear, he might find out eventually, and he'll be doubly disappointed you didn't have the courage to face him. You're not scared of him, are you?"

Rachel swallowed, "Only of his disappointment."

"Well then," he coughed, "Best treat the...this... this as a... 'band aid' as you Americans call them, and rip it off quickly, rather than let the pain last. I know he is a very reasonable man, your father. Explain what happened to him, and how you know what you did was wrong, and I shall explain that you've already been punished for it."

"What about Dolores? She tried to steal my bag." Rachel asked.

"I shall deal with that young girl." Doctor Hartnel said with an edge. "I dare say, though she disrupted the lesson she did learn something in class." He didn't laugh, but Rachel got the sense he wanted to. "She learnt that when you strike someone, they have the equal power and freedom to strike you back."

* * *

As Rachel left the class room she'd decided she'd found a new loathing for Dolores. How could someone grand stand against bullying, and yet act like such a bully?

 _When you're grandstanding, anything is justified, as long as its not happening to you._ Said a voice in her head, and that conclusion made her like Dolores even less. She was an utter hypocrite. Though Rachel wondered what it was really all in aid of. Was Dolores really interested in pushing an anti-bullying message? Or was there some more sinister motive to her actions, that the message disguised?

And why did she want her laptop? What could Dolores do with her laptop?

 _It contains my stories!_ She realised. _It contains my social media life, my website, my passwords. She wants control of them!_ But why? _Jealousy, I don't know?_

"Miss Rachel!" shouted a voice from the hall, a voice she hated the sound of. She turned and saw a man stamping towards her whom she really didn't like at all.

A tall man with a pasty face, cold eyes, short, thinning hair and he wore a dark suit that was exceptionally neat and tidy, and he gave off the impression he was a slithering snake of some kind as he walked. Mister Vale, their Maths teacher. His voice was silky and velvety as he spoke.

"Miss Rachel!" He said as if it was more an insult than a name, "I've just been informed you struck another student!"

"She was pulling on my hair. Mister Vale." Rachel defended herself.

"I don't care. You do not strike another student. You shall serve after school detention for this!" Mister Vale said, his eyes like lasers.

"I've already got detention with Doctor Hartnel." Rachel said back.

"Then you shall be spending it with me, instead!" Mister Vale said sternly, "Doctor Hartnel is far too lenient in this school when it comes to bullies."

"But she was bullying me!" Rachel said back.

"The evidence of my own eyes says otherwise, Miss Rachel." the slimy man said. "You will spend after school detention with me, and I shall inform your father of your behaviour myself!"

Fear gripped Rachel's heart again. She wanted to plead with Mister Vale, but she knew it would do no good. It would probably give him satisfaction.

"What about Dolores? She tried to steal my bag, and my things, and..." Rachel began to say.

"We do not punish the victims of bullying, Miss Rachel." Mister Vale said, a smirk on his face. "You know we have a zero tolerance policy here. Maybe next time you'll think twice before picking on someone so defenceless." And he turned and walked back to his office like he had dished out fair justice.

Rachel so wanted to hit him too, but that would just make the situation worse for her.

She lent against the wall and gently banged the back of her head against it.

Oh great! Though she didn't feel like she should get punished, at least Doctor Hartnel was a fair man who saw a bigger picture, detention with him would probably be bearable. But detention with Mister Vale was going to be a nightmare. He was always so heavy handed with his punishments, he was such a bully himself.

Maybe Doctor Hartnel could tell Mister Vale to back off and let him deal with the punishment for an incident which happened in his own class. But she got a nasty feeling Mister Vale would not accept that. She didn't know why he delighted in punishing people so much. Was he bullied as a kid himself and wanted to make up for it? Either way, he was so focused on stamping out bullying in the school he was helping a person to bully. Did he not realise that?

She felt her laptop digging into her back as she lent against the wall. She only wished she could disappear into her own fiction, become Raven and be with the Doctor having adventures.

But that would just be a fantasy. She has to deal with reality, and the reality was Dolores was a bully who delighted in appearing to be a victim.

Rachel got a feeling Dolores was going to make her life an utter hell.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** Nothing much to add, other than I've seen this kind of behaviour first hand when I was in school.


	42. Chapter 41, Day Dreaming

**Chapter 41**

 **Day Dreaming**

The certainty that Rachel would be spending after school detention with Mister Vale made the rest of the day drag on somewhat. Almost as if she was going to her doom with each tic of the clock.

"He did what?!" Victor and Richard said in outrage together.

"Can teachers do that?" Garfield asked.

"I don't think so." Richard said, finally becoming animated now that there was injustice in the air. "We should do something."

"Do what? Sue him? Talk to him? Reason with him? Complain to the Principle? Yeah, I'm sure that'll work." Rachel said flatly. Mister Vale was the kind of person who'd push to get his own way and would not take 'no' for an answer. If he couldn't take over Doctor Hartnels punishment he'd just punish her the day after. There was no way she was getting out of this. She could only hope for a miracle.

They were on their way to GYM now, and Rachel spotted Dolores in active conversation with a bunch of students. Her nose had stopped bleeding and she was clearly playing up how much it hurt to grab the attention of anyone who'd listen.

Marya was there as well as her two goons trying to offer support to Dolores side of the story.

God, if only Rachel had Ravens powers, she'd so mess with them.

After getting changed into their GYM outfits Rachel and Stella stood outside in a row of girls. Marya had given Rachel an evil eye as they got changed. Rachel knew Marya was only jealous because though Rachel was shorter than her, she was also more 'mature' than Marya looked. Knowing that just made Rachel smile on the inside when she saw Marya's evil gaze.

The boys came out and assembled in another row. Unlike the more well behaved girls the boys were playfully fighting with each other in the way boys did.

"Ah, splendid!" said a soft spoken man coming out of a gate behind which was their GYM equipment. "If I could have five volunteers to collect and carry the equipment, please." said the man, and Victor and a couple of boys went to help.

The man was tall, slim, and with quite a narrow build. His face was oval shaped with a somewhat heavy brow, very thin eye brows and side parted blond hair which was bordering on old man gray.

Doctor Davison, or 'Doctor Peter Moffat Davison' to give him his full name, was their GYM teacher, and quite a far cry from the stereotype muscly jock.

"Teacher." Victor said as he took from storage three wooden spikes, a weirdly shaped bat and a red ball which looked very hard. "What are we playing?"

"Cricket." the teacher smiled picking up the angular bat which had a white hat with a red brim dangling from the end of it. He popped the hat on his head.

"Cricket?" Victor asked disappointed, "I thought we were playing Football?"

"I thought today we'd try something different, something more cultural." the Teacher said, taking a deep breath of the cool, yet warm, summer air. "Don't worry, we can return to your countries version of rugby next lesson." He smiled. Victor looked a little annoyed at his favourite sport being just called rugby, but he let it slide when he realised the Teacher was just teasing him.

Doctor Davison took them out to the field and described the rules of this English sport called cricket. There were so many rules and terminology to explain they probably weren't going to get a chance to play.

At its basics it appeared to be like baseball, only you ran backwards and forwards between two short spaces, not around four, exchanging between two batsmen as you went. You stayed on until someone was 'bowled out,' which happened when the red ball hit the 'wickets', three, tall wooden stumps supporting two wooden rods sitting behind the batsman, knock them off and you're out. There were also batters and fielders, like in baseball.

The details of it washed over Rachels head, as it was many of the students, but they just decided to play along. It might be fun.

Unfortunately Rachel was not that athletic, and her stamina was limited. She was never very good at sports. She ran out of breath fast when they were doing a relay race, same problem with soccer. Her hand eye coordination was horrid as demonstrated when they played tennis... and basket ball, don't get her started on it.

But her class settled down to play this strange little English game.

* * *

"Hey, the Doctor never became Mad Mod, did he?" Beast Boy laughed, interrupting again.

Raven did not like this interruption. Doubly so, because Beast Boy had just connected the Doctor to one of their own bad guys, someone who had a fetish for all things British.

"ow ow OW OW OW! OKAY, I'M SORRY!" Beast Boy said through a blocked nose as Raven used her power to grip his nose shut and pull his head back by that same nose. She held him a little longer before releasing him.

"That is your final warning." Raven warned him.

* * *

They had been sorted into two teams which were a mixture of boys and girls. Each team had five boys and five girls. To mix things up the teams were picked from a draw from Doctor Davisons hat, first the boys, then the girls until there was a nice balance of the two genders.

Dolores was moaning about everything as usual. First that, "Imagine forcing me to do GYM, can't he tell how it'll distress me for someone of my size." Oh, Rachel so wanted to be allowed to bowl just to have an excuse to throw something at her and be able to get away with it. But Doctor Davison was going to bowl.

Then she moaned that "mixing the boys and girls would only let the boys show the girls up because they were clearly stronger". At that line Rachel looked at Garfield and thought to herself, _Yeah right, I could crush him easily._

As Dolores moaned on, Rachel got the idea that even if Doctor Daivison separated their teams out any other way she'd still find something to complain about.

As Doctor Davison took the final name from the hat that formed team one, which included Stella, Victor and Richard. The rest were now team two. Rachel realised in horror that the Teacher hadn't picked out either Rachel's, Dolores, nor Marya's names. Oh no, they were on the same team!

"Hey, don't worry." Garfield said, "He didn't call out my name either, so I guess we're on the same team at least."

"And that makes me feel so much better." Rachel breathed with heavy sarcasm.

 _Just get through an hour of this. Just try._

It was decided team one would bat first, and team two would field. Doctor Davison took up his position as pitcher, or 'bowler' as it's called in cricket.

Rachel tried to stay as far away from Dolores as possible, but it seemed like as the game went on she was subtly trying to work her way towards her.

Garfield's mind clearly wasn't on the game as he missed an easy catch and had to chase after the ball to throw it back to the wicket keeper, who was sort of like a Catcher. He positioned himself between Rachel and Dolores and wouldn't let the large woman anywhere closer to Rachel. When Dolores realised what he was doing she gave him a look of contempt. She looked like she was ready to eat him to get through.

Doctor Davison was showing Victor how to hold and swing the bat properly according to the rules of the game. Victor looked confused and less than enthusiastic about it as he mimicked the smaller swinging motion of the broad bat as the Teacher demonstrated.

"That's it, perfect." The Teacher beamed, "Now, watch out for my googly. The thing about cricket is that the way the bowler bowls the ball affects the way it impacts the ground, and how it impacts the ground affects where it's going to go. It's almost like the perfect metaphor for the chaos theory, a butterfly flapping its wings in the Horse Head nebular starts a temporal storm in the Axium Galaxy, and all that." He stopped and realised he was rambling. "So basically, unlike in baseball you have to be able to react much quicker to the changing direction of the ball."

"I can hardly wait." Victor said unenthusiastically and held the bat the way the Teacher had showed him.

The Teacher ran towards Victor and prepared to bowl. He threw the ball. It sailed through the air spinning rapidly, it impacted the ground and appeared to go off in a very strange direction due to the balls spin.

Despite never doing this before, Victors bat hit the ball and the ball went flying up into the air.

"Oh, well done, Victor, well done!" the Teacher congratulated.

But now it was team twos turn to catch it out.

Rachel kept her eye on the ball, it was coming down fast and in her direction. She turned and began to run, trying to keep her eye on the ball. She held out her hands, it was coming towards her, and if she kept moving maybe she could catch this solid ball .

Suddenly her feet stopped turning over and she fell forwards into the dirt as Marya had seized her chance to stick her foot out to catch Rachels legs.

Rachel laid in the dirt and seethed with rage, her hands held upwards and her fingers began to curl up in frustration. She so wanted to strike her. But then something suddenly landed comfortably in her hand.

Rachel looked up and saw a red cricket ball sitting in her hands. She sat up, her front covered in dirt and while on her knees she turned around to look at the other students. She'd caught the ball!

"Oh, well played!" The Teacher cried, "Serendipity in action."

Rachel got up and gave Marya a nasty look. But weirdly Marya looked more astonished than anything.

"How the hell did you do that?!" Marya looked like she was accusing.

Rachel didn't know what she was talking about and just moved to get away from her. She tossed the ball back to the Teacher and then turned to Garfield who was also looking at her strangely.

"What?" She asked.

"How the hell did you do that? I mean, what happened, the ball. It..." Garfield stumbled.

"Spit it out!" Rachel demanded.

"It... it... stopped and fell straight down into your hands!" Rachel was tempted to dismiss Garfield's story if it wasn't for the expression on his face, and even the expressions on her team mates faces, all looked at her as if they'd seen something they couldn't explain.

Her attention was then grabbed by the conversation the Teacher was having with Victor.

"What does that mean?" Victor asked.

"I'm afraid it means you're out." Doctor Davison said.

"Oh man, come on!" Victor moaned, kicking the dirt at his feet.

"Since this is a friendly game and you're not used to it, we can bend the rules a little, nobody will be 'out, out'. We'll just score up whenever a player is caught out. Just join the back of the line and wait for your turn again."

"Sir, sir. I don't think we should keep score at all!" Dolores cried, "If this is a friendly game it'll invite competition between us, it'll mean one team has to lose."

 _Well duh!_ Rachel thought.

"Well, no matter what I call it, we'll have someone trying to keep score, whether they're winning or losing. So it's rather academic to whether I actually keep score or not." The Teacher said.

"I don't think that's right, sir. We shouldn't score ourselves based on this." Dolores said as if she knew what she was talking about. In reality, to Rachel she sounded like an idiot.

 _Oh god, blah, blah, blah._ Rachel just tuned this out. If Dolores said it, likely, it was rubbish anyway. After her long spiel the Teacher finally asked a question.

"Is your name 'Dolores', by any chance?" Doctor Davison asked.

"Yeah!" Dolores said going on the defensive. "What of it?"

"You've fast gained a reputation and it clearly proceeds you." The Teacher commented and turned away, choosing to ignore her. Dolores looked clearly upset and shot Rachel an ugly look as if this was somehow her fault.

Now it was Stella's turn to bat and the Teacher had a bit of a hard time explaining why you could only use the flat end of the bat when Stella wanted to use the angled side.

Despite her never swinging a bat this way before she quickly got the hang of it, and being an athletic girl she ran backwards and forwards between the stumps before the fielders could get the ball back to the wicket keeper. Who Rachel only now noticed was one of Marya's goons.

Another of the batters were sent off to be back of the line so Stella and Richard were both on the pitch.

Richard was also quite good with the bat, but when it came to Stella's turn again it seemed her first few hits must've been flukes because she was average again.

"There's no need to hold back, Stella!" The Teacher called, tossing the ball into the air and catching it. "I can tell you're a natural at this. Don't hold back. If people feel showed up then that's their problem, not yours."

"If you think that wise GYM teacher Doctor Davison." and she was back on form again. Rachel couldn't tell if this was all because Stella was stronger than she looked, but she was very good; and it inspired Richard to put more effort in too. Victor, who was at the back of the line of batters, looked astonished at Stella's strength and looked like he was mentally charging himself to bring himself back into competition with the girl.

Rachel knew this wouldn't come to anything ugly. Their friendship had been through so much worse and had survived.

Stella was up for batting again, and Richard looked a little annoyed as he watched the fielders spread out more because Stella could hit the ball quite far.

If this was Rachel, she'd hit the ball more softly. Everyone was spread out so far that if she hit the ball softer then the fielders would have to waste time running forwards to catch the ball. But the Teacher had told her to not hold back, and so far she'd stuck to it, and Rachel knew Stella was the kind of person who, once you gave her one note, she'd comfortably stick with it for a long while before changing it up.

Rachel ran backwards to get into a good position to catch.

"Rachel, look out!" Garfield cried. Why? The field was empty and there was nothing behind her except for a brick wall, and she was nowhere near that. Rachel put two and two together too late as she bumped into someone, she instantly said, "sorry." But large, flabby arms came from around her and forced her to the floor.

Dolores stood tall and imposing over her, she looked angry, but she was also subtly smirking as if she'd stood in her way deliberately to do this.

"You little bully. I'll be telling Mister Vale about this." and she hawked back in her mouth, preparing to spit on her when... Rachels disgust, anger and hatred all burnt. She just wished she could reach out with telekinetic powers and strangle this girl, or bash a rock into her face!

"Incoming!" The Teacher cried. There was a crunching noise from behind Rachel and...

SMASH!

Before Dolores could spit, a large, heavy, solid cricket ball suddenly appeared and it slammed into Dolores face, smashing her nose yet again. She reeled back in pain and held her face as blood again gushed from her nose.

The Teacher was at their side in an instant.

"What happened?" he asked.

"She hit me!" Dolores said gripping her nose and pointing an accusing finger at Rachel. She was trying to milk this again!

"No, it was an accident!" Rachel defended herself.

"It's true, sir." Garfield said. "I saw what happened. The cricket ball hit the wall, bounced back and smashed Dolores in the face." He mimed being hit in the face with a ball and clutched his nose.

"Why would Dolores be looking away from the pitch?" the Teacher asked.

"She was about to spit on me." Rachel said, dusting her arms down while keeping her eyes focused on Dolores.

"Is this true?" the Teacher asked Dolores.

"It's wrong, sir." Marya pipped up. "I saw Rachel hit her. She's been bullying Dolores all morning."

"Hmm." Doctor Davison pondered. "And can you explain the blood on the cricket ball? Or the lack of it on Rachels hands?"

"Well sir..." Marya said, her eyes looked panicked and shifted from side to side as she tried to come up with a convincing lie. "It must be blood splatter." Doctor Davison did not look convinced.

"You know, I might believe you. If it wasn't for the fact that I watched it happen and saw everything." Marya fell silent.

Dolores still writhed in pain. Rachel didn't care if she was okay, she wanted her to suffer now.

"Garfield, please take Dolores to the nurse." the Teacher said.

"Why me?!" Garfield moaned.

"Because I asked you nicely." Doctor Davison looked at Garfield with a stern look which said there would be no discussion.

Garfield was clearly unhappy as Dolores eventually got to her feet and sobbed all the way back to the school. Marya and her goons tried to follow.

"Remain here, please, you three. Lesson is not over yet." and they obeyed.

"I am really sorry about this GYM Teacher Doctor Davison." Stella said.

"It's not your fault, it was just a freak accident, a one in a million chance." The Teacher said and he clapped his hands together and ushered them all back to the pitch.

As Rachel got up to return to the others she saw Marya looking at her, again with a look that Rachel didn't like.

"I saw what happened. That ball didn't just hit the wall. It hit the wall and came back like a cannon ball." She hissed.

"Yeah right." Rachel dismissed. "Are you suggesting I somehow forced it back into the bitches face?" she mocked.

* * *

"Azarath Metrion Zynthos, Azarath Metrion Zynthos, Azarath Metrion Zynthos." Raven meditated. It was difficult. The deck of this ship was a hustle and bustle of activity.

"Remember," The Doctor said, "You're not trying to be the calm in a storm. You're trying to be a cork on the sea." He was opposite her, crossed legged like she was, resting his hands on his knees in a slightly different meditation stance to her own.

Raven's eyes relaxed, she tried to totally relax her body as the insanely strong cartoon character ran around with a wet wig on, bent double over, swabbing the deck with his head. "I'm a good mop, huh, Eddy?!" He said giggling like a lunatic.

"Doctor, this is impossible!" Raven knew what the Doctor meant, but it just felt so impossible to ignore so much noise around you and focus on just yourself.

"Bumble bees." The Doctor said in a dismissive tone.

"What?"

"Terran Insects. Its aerodynamically impossible for them to fly, but they do it." The Doctor said.

"That's an old wives tail and you know it." Raven tried to focus again on her centre.

"No, no. You're focusing on a centre that isn't centred anymore." The Doctor said, "It's like trying to focus on a single water molecule in the ocean." Raven just groaned.

The Indian character at the helm was now arguing with the strong cartoon character.

"Have you ever seen attack of the killer, blob monster from beyond mars?" the cartoon had said.

"I think that one somehow slipped past me, Mr. Ed." the Indian gentleman said politely. He sounded like he used to own a convenience store or something.

Focus, focus, focus!

 _"No, don't focus."_ Came the Doctors words telepathically, _"That is your problem. You're trying to find a still point in a dynamic setting. Just practice relaxing first, and disconnect."_

 _Yes, Master._ Raven thought with sarcasm.

 _"I always told Azar his teaching methods work wonders in a controlled setting like a dusty, boring temple. But his students needed to experience the hustle and bustle of real life and be able to meditate through that, too."_

 _I don't like the way he talks about my tutor._ Raven thought to herself, forgetting the Doctor could hear her. _How did you know Azar anyway?_

 _"Oh, that is a long story."_ The Doctor sent.

 _We've got nothing but time now, so you might as well tell me._ Raven had been waiting for an opportunity to ask this, but it never arose.

 _"We became friends centuries ago by my time. I was in my first incarnation, travelling with my Granddaughter. We landed on Azarath because I wanted to study the psychic abilities of the people there."_

 _And Azar let you?_ Raven asked.

 _"Oh no. He thought we were intruders and wanted nothing to do with us, at first. He was a younger person back then too. Very sceptical of outsiders you see. But I think my knowledge of telekinetic powers impressed him. He agreed to my experiments, but only if they were conducted on himself and no one else. He was very protective of his students._

 _"We spent many hours in conversation about philosophy, science, art and even local politics of the day, which thankfully I wasn't involved in."_

 _Azar was into art? and Science?_ Raven asked quizzically.

 _"Well, alright, I may have gone on a bit."_

 _Surprise me._ Raven thought.

 _"You know you're not too old for me to ground you, you know."_

 _Just you try me..._ There was a thought she wanted to express, but she didn't want to while the Doctor and her were in contact. But the thought of him grounding her made him sound like a father.

 _...Dad._ She decided to add in a mocking tone to release the tension.

 _"But that's where our friendship started. We even started playing chess through the telepathic circuits whenever I passed close to the Azarathian dimension."_ The Doctor paused. _"And he was a renowned cheat!"_ The Doctor thought rather childishly.

Raven couldn't help but smile, just a little at that stray thought of his.

"Remember, relax first and disconnect. Once you're disconnected and can freely bob in the ocean, then you look for the centre within yourself." the Doctor said.

It sounded like mumbo-jumbo, but Raven got the gist of it. Their little conversation had allowed Raven to relax and focus, relax and focus.

She felt the swaying of the boat through her body, and she just relaxed, and relaxed. There was a tension in her shoulders. Relaxed. Her leg was in an uncomfortable position, move it and relax. Don't focus, just relax.

"HAHAHAHAHA!" Laughed the cartoon boy as he ran around the deck, now with live chickens in his hands from the ships pantry. He was being chased by the Indian man again.

 _Just feel the rocking of the boat, ignore all outside distractions, do not, DO NOT get stressed! DO NOT!_

"Cabin Boy, Mono-Brow, put those chickens back!" The Indian cried.

"But I love chickens, Rolf!"

"My name is Apu!" the Indian cried.

The boy stopped and looked like he was processing this before declaring. "Don't forget to flush it!" and ran off again giggling like this was a game.

Raven dropped her head and pressed her hands to her temples.

"This is going to be difficult!" She sighed.

Now instead of focusing on just her chimes she was also focusing on the gentle swaying of the boat, which was very rhythmic. Whenever the ship rocked one way, she spoke her chimes once, when it went the other she spoke them again.

Raven had thought she was getting the hang of it, but no, it still wasn't working. Her mind wandered and she felt the Doctors aura. He was so peaceful and calm in this storm. How did he do it? It must be because he's a Time Lord, because this was just impossible!

Something landed in her lap and squawked loudly before flapping all over her and running away. A stupid chicken!

 _STOP, STOP! WHY WON'T THE WORLD JUST STOP?!_ She fumed in her head focusing on the cause of her outburst, the chicken.

BANG!

There was an eruption of darkness and the chicken was blasted into atoms. Feathers rained down around them.

"Oh no! Not Maurice!" The boy shouted, dropped the other chickens and began gathering up the feathers, playing with them as if he could put the chicken back together.

 _SHIT, SHIT, SHIT! What the hell is wrong with me?!_ Ravens eyes closed tightly and tried to refocus. That was the danger of her powers, and why it was important to meditate. Meditation controlled her emotions, her emotions channel her powers, if she can't control her emotions then whatever she focuses on gets the full brunt of uncontrollable power.

"Relax." The Doctor said, "They're just fictions, they'll pop back into existence eventually. Death means nothing to a fiction."

"That's a very morbid way of looking at it." Raven said as she relaxed herself back into her meditation stance.

"These people don't really fear death. What they fear is what every aspiring artist fears, obscurity. If enough people forget about them, then the mental energy which supports them falls apart. I guess that makes their society sort of like an attention based economy."

This put a thought into Ravens head. Maybe she should actually stay here, in the Land of Fiction. If she's going to become destructive and evil then why not do it in a place where its inhabitants do not fear death.

"But didn't Captain Hook..." It was strange to refer to the character as a real person, "...say they're fighting the Mistress because she's killing them?"

"It's not that shes killing them. It's the way she's doing it. Killing them and replacing them with versions she thinks are better." The Doctor explained. "That's what's disturbing them."

"But, why would someone do that? Destroy fiction?" she asked.

"It happens all the time. Book burning, protests. Some people think for a greater good literature needs to be purged of certain 'ideas' that are deemed 'harmful'. 'The Kings Rule' is a book from the Andromeda galaxy which was written by a genocidal mad man. Historically it's a look into the mind of a lunatic, and people do recognise him as a lunatic. But to some its a book which 'pushes his views' and some would demand all copies burnt."

"Why?" she asked.

"Because some think people are so easily convinced by words and popular media." He laughed. "That one person merely speaking their mind freely in just the 'wrong way' will inspire just one person to do great evil, just one. And to prevent that they think it justified to filter or censor everything. Fiction, language, literature, private messages, conversations in public places, and sometimes even scientific discoveries must be controlled and adjusted to fit."

"So you think the mistress has a view of how the world should be, and doesn't like anything that'll inspire behaviour she thinks is not appropriate?" Raven asked. Reading some books herself she'd come across certain aspects and ideas she felt were silly. Most in the Alice Compendium, but also stuff like the idea that loved conquered all, or that evil could be defeated by a single person with a magic sword. That an ugly duckling could ever become a swan and be accepted, because underneath it was still an ugly duck. There were even some horrific ideas painted in literature that she did not like, Voldermort and his Death Eaters just being one, but she wouldn't dream of burning or destroying the books.

 _Unless its the Twilight Saga, screw the Twilight Saga._

"How do you know all this?" Raven asked the Doctor. He'd sounded a little crestfallen as he'd said everything. Was there something too this he wasn't saying? He looked like he was struggling with something internally. "It's not just because you're broadly travelled, is it?"

"I... I travelled with someone, a long time ago. They disappointed me."

"Who? What happened?" Raven prompted, but the Doctor remained silent. Reaching for his aura Raven was surprised to feel the Doctor too was wrestling some feeling to the ground. Just like she does with her own emotions.

* * *

Rachel was too tired to focus on her maths work. So she just day-dreamed about the next chapter of her story.

Raven was having trouble focusing in a world that was in constant motion and she needed to learn how to focus despite the noise around her. For some reason that was important but Rachel couldn't remember why.

Her droopy eyes looked at Mister Vale as he went on about some mathematical thing to do with statistics.

Rachel actually liked maths, but when Mister Vale teaches it, it's always boring. He made it sound so boring she'd practically lost all interest in it.

"Now," he announced, "You will turn to page 101 of your maths text book and complete the problems."

Dreary eyed, Rachel picked up her maths book and opened it to a list of questions about statistics.

She had been dreaming up her new adventure with Raven and the Doctor that she hadn't really been paying attention, and as such she had to go back into the book to remind herself what was going on.

Statistics, the practice or science of collecting and analysing numerical data in large quantities, especially for the purpose of inferring proportions in a whole from those in a representative sample.

Oh god, this was too much. Rachel couldn't absorb this. Her brain was too uninterested in it. Her father was good at maths, he could teach her this later and do a better job than Mister Vale could.

Okay, just try to get through the first few questions.

.

 **Question One**

 _A survey is being taken at your local tea room. Questionnaires are given out as people leave._

 _The questionnaire asks these questions._

 _How often do you visit this tea room? Everyday. Once a Week. or Never._

 _What gender are you? Male or female._

 _What age group are you? 0-10, 11-20, 21-30, 31-40_

 _ **Question,** Explain why the survey is bias_

 _And suggest improvements._

 _._

Oh god this was boring. Move onto the next question

.

 **Question Two**

 _If something has a one in thirty thousand chance of happening, that makes it impossible. True or False, and explain why._

 _._

False, its just statistically unlikely, not impossible. Like the cricket ball smashing Dolores in the face. Not impossible, just unlikely.

Dolores had yet to return from the nurses but Garfield had returned just in time before Mister Vale shut his door. Anyone caught outside after the door closed got instant detention.

Rachels head tilted and she saw Garfield's head snaking over to her book to look at her answers. She shot him a warning glance that quickly made him retreat. God, he was such a cheater!

The other questions were about drawing histograms, calibration curves and bar graphs to interpret data. Some questions asked to question the data in case it was bias on some level.

Rachel still found it difficult to focus and instead her mind wandered again and she began dreaming up her story.

* * *

Raven had been at it for two hours and she'd given up, for now. It felt like she was on the brink of focus in this world, but it was like the more she went after it, the further away it flew from her.

She'll try again later. Hopefully her mood swings and powers don't destroy the ship in the mean time.

Now she stood in the Captains Quarters, next to a table with a map of the local sea unfurled on the table, small models denoted the resistances ships. Captain Hook was now considering the resistances next move. The Doctor and Alice were both present too.

"We can't head back to the Admiral." Captain Hook said, drumming the fingers of his hand on the table. "We're cut off."

"Which Admiral?" The Doctor asked. "Hornblower?"

"Akbar." and the Doctors face lit up.

"Seriously?" he laughed, but the others ignored him.

"The territories to the west, the Mistress will be keeping an eye on. So returning to Big T, is also out of the question." Alice said.

Raven looked down at where Alice nodded. There was a model ship that looked like a large ocean liner with four funnels.

"I've been on that ship, before." The Doctor said to her, "I ended up clinging to an iceberg last time. But the original only had three smoke stacks. So that one must be the post 1912 version after Morgan Robertson made changes following the disaster."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Raven said.

"Really? Remind me to lend you the book 'Futility' when we get back to the TARDIS. Followed by 'A Night to Remember', and we'll see what you make of that big coincidence." The Doctor said. "It's about time you learnt some of your planets history."

"Is there a point to that?" she asked.

"Well, those who don't learn from history, often are doomed to just repeat it."

The map had a great, large area which was labelled 'Unexplored Territories' which this ship seemed to be sailing quite close to, and Raven decided to ask what that meant.

"'That' is a no-go area." Captain Hook said, "It is the place where the Mistress can discard certain works she does not wish to see anymore. Casting them into a sea of mist never to be seen again."

"A type of 'Censoring' in other words." The Doctor mused. "Why haven't you been 'censored' Captain Hook? Surely it'd be easier than trying to chase you down."

"My dear Doctor, she cannot censor us if she doesn't know what we are from." Captain Hook said.

"Ah! Hence the code names. The Captain, Big Al, Cabin Boy Mono-brow, Helmsman Quick. If she doesn't have your names, she can't find your reference to censor you!"

"Indeed." The Captain said. "The No-go area is indicated by a mist on the horizon, and if we head in there, there is no guarantee we could ever get back out."

There were three knocks on the rooms double doors, followed by a bang as the mono-brow cartoon character sharply headbutted the doors causing them to fling open. The boy stumbled forward laughing like a simpleton his face red from the impact.

"Kindly not do that to the doors, dear boy." Captain Hook said, keeping his cool but with an edge of irritation, a nervous twitch at his cheek told Raven he was keeping himself under control.

The boy stood and saluted... with his foot instead of his hand. "Helman potty mouth says he's spotted 'Rug One' on the horizon!"

"They survived? Jolly good. Tell them I shall receive them when I arrive on deck." Captain Hook said.

The boy saluted again, somehow with both of his feet without falling, he spun on his heel, and ran forward on his short, stubby legs, crashing through the door and leaving a hole in his exact shape.

A loud splintering noise then came from the table as Captain Hook dug his hook into the table in frustration. "I really, really, hate that boy!"

"Blood pressure, captain." Alice said.

'Rug One' turned out to be Aladdin and the Barriss girl. Somehow they had survived their escape attempt and were arriving back on the ship. The rug settled on the deck and the two climbed off.

"Can I have a shower to get this paint off?" Barriss said pulling the fake jewel on her forehead back out. "I do not like the look of gray skin." Barriss stopped as she spotted Raven looking at her with cold eyes. "Oh, sorry."

Raven didn't say anything.

"Well, congratulations lad!" Captain Hook said, patting Aladdin on the back with his one hand. "You survived. I was certain that was a suicide mission for sure."

Raven expected Aladdin to be more upset being told this. But she kept forgetting the people here don't fear death, as they just pop back into existence elsewhere when killed.

"I'm not sure what happened." Aladdin shrugged, "One minute we were being followed. The next they all gave up and retreated."

"Dashed queer of them." Captain Hook said.

"Are you sure they didn't plant anything on you?" Alice asked, looking Aladdin and Barriss over.

"No, nothing. They just harassed us and sort of... gave up."

"Perhaps they realised Raven and the Doctor were with the Elwood Brothers." Alice suggested.

"The Mistress of the Land of Fiction would not give up so easily." Captain Hook said, "I know her. Tactics aren't her strong point. She'd hound anyone against her to the ends of the world and beyond."

"Unless, perhaps she's gotten clever." The Doctor suggested, he looked like he noticed something the others did not. Slowly he walked around Aladdin as if examining him closely. "You sure they didn't manage to plant anything on you?"

"I was with him, I would've noticed." Barriss said.

"Its just funny that I noticed a small twitch in your eye when Captain Hook spoke of the Mistress in such disdain." The Doctor stopped circling the boy and stood in front of him. "Tell me, what are your honest opinions of the mistress? and I mean 'your' honest opinions."

Aladdin looked worried, but not the kind of worried as if he was going to be called out, but a kind of realisation about himself that horrified him.

"I think... I think... I think she is... great... and good... and powerful... and we can't defeat her... and she is on the good side... that we are on the bad side... and..." He paused, horror was in his face. "She's found my reference!" He exclaimed.

Suddenly a long sword skewered the boy through the chest. Captain Hooks sword. A black inky substance poured out of Aladdin like it was blood and pooled to the floor.

"Thank you, captain." Aladdin said losing all life.

"My pleasure, boy." Captain Hook said with a little too much relish, and he removed his sword, which was also covered in that inky substance.

Barriss sadly approached him, "I'm sorry." She said, and with a flick of her wrist it was as if Aladdin was picked up off the floor and was flung away like a bullet over the side and faraway before crashing into the sea, leaving nothing but a small patch of ink on the waters surface.

The display of power from Barriss surprised Raven. But she didn't have time to contemplate it as things were happening. Aladdin had just died, and no one was affected by this. They really did not view death the same way she would.

"Oh dear, the Mistress must've worked out where Aladdin came from," Alice said, "and was now using that knowledge to implant herself into his character."

"She can do that?" Raven asked, horror was stirring in the back of her mind that any of these fictional characters could become spies, or even hostile if the Mistress found where they came from.

"Again, why code names were so wise." The Doctor commented.

"She'll know where we are." Captain Hook said, "we need to move before she sends her fleet out to nab us."

An explosion rocked the boat and a spray of water flowed over the ship.

"Good god, what was that?" Captain Hook said looking on the horizon for their attacker, but the sea was flat and calm.

The Doctor had his spyglass out and was scanning the sea.

"I see a periscope. Something is surfacing..." The Doctor fell silent, and slowly lowered the glass and turned to them, disbelief and amusement in his face. "It's the Yellow Submarine!"

"The what?" Raven asked.

"I swear, it is. The one from the Beatles song." Raven was still none the wiser.

"I'll have to introduce you to popular music when we get back to the TARDIS."

"I can hardly wait." Raven sighed.

"Hmm..." The Doctor looked again through his spyglass. "Even more worrying is, I also see Red October out there. Oh dear, and the Nautilus. Which I'm afraid is coming about, to ram us."

Raven saw a bubbling on the surface of the water as this submersible ship sped straight towards them.

"Hard a Starboard!" Captain Hook shouted. "Do not allow her to attack our broadside." But their ship wouldn't turn fast enough, and it certainly didn't have the speed edge to out run such a fast, undersea vessel.

Raven quickly stepped up to make herself useful. She held out her hands, waved her arms around. Spoke her chimes and a big, black shield appeared on the exposed side of the ship.

It felt like something had rammed into her head when she felt the Nautilus impact her shield. There was so much penetrating power behind that vessel and it was taking so much concentration to hold the wall in existence.

"Queen of Diamonds!" Captain Hook said, referring to Barriss, probably because of her diamond shaped tattooes over her nose. "We need more speed."

The Nautilus broke off its attack having lost all the momentum needed to smash into the ship. But it was fast circling around to try again. Red October had fired a torpedo, but Raven quickly cast another shield and the torpedo rammed into it, exploding on impact.

Raven looked to Barriss to see what she was doing. She looked like she was charging herself up with power. What power does she have?

Barriss swung her arms forward and Raven felt the power rushing through her as she seemed to conjure a great wind from nowhere. A great wind she focused entirely into the ships sails. The sails all ballooned out and the ship jerked violently and began to pick up speed on this artificial weather.

"Head towards the Censored Zone!" The Doctor shouted over this artificial wind.

"Are you mad, sir?" Captain Hook asked.

"Whatever ends up in there is hidden from the Mistress right?" The Doctor asked, "What better place to hide from the Mistress than the one place she can never find us?"

"We may never find our way out of there!" Captain Hook shouted.

"It's either that or be killed or captured and end up as brain washed as Aladdin!" Captain Hook looked like he was about to argue, but he had no steam nor argument to disagree.

"Helmsman Quick!" Captain Hook said.

"Yes, Mister Captain." the Indian man said.

"Take us into the Censored zone."

"Aye, sir." and the Helmsman spun the wheel and turned towards the fog bank on the horizon.

Raven looked back and saw the Nautilus on the attack again and only just managed to conjure a shield quickly enough to catch it, and deflect it away. She suspected Red October was about to fire another torpedo, and so she cast a shield directly in front of the sub. There was an explosion, followed by an even bigger bang as the torpedo effectively blew a hole in the submersible, sinking it.

Given hindsight, maybe she should've used Red Octobers torpedoes to attack the Nautilus, because it was coming again. This time though she angled the shield so the Nautilus was sharply deflected instead of caught on the side. It required much less mental effort to keep it in existence if it wasn't under constant attack.

The Nautilus seemed to break off as their ship sailed into the fog bank. It got very cold, very quickly and it was very quiet. Raven closed her cloak and held it closed to try to keep some warmth in.

"Well, here we are." The Doctor said. He didn't look cold at all. "The Censored zone, the rubbish bin of the Mistress." He looked over the side of the boat and into the water. "I just wonder what's in here that upsets the Mistress so much she'd throw it in here, to never be seen again."

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** Que end of part one sting, because I think this is where part one of the adventure would end. :P

This part was a little difficult to write for. I wanted to make the underlying theme of authoritarian control and 1984 concepts a little more subtle than I had originally wrote them. I'm not sure I succeeded, especially in the part where the Doctor explains why people would want popular media to be censored or altered and how much of a slippery slope it is.

Updates might come less frequent as I'm trying to fathom how best to tackle the latter part of this adventure.


	43. Bk 7 Chapter 42, Detention

**Authors notes: [EDIT 11/April/2019]** Tagged an extra bit onto the ending to help building something up which didn't have sufficient build up. ;)

* * *

 **BOOK 7**

 **CENSORED!**

Rachel Roth continues her life all the while being pestered by Dolores. What is she up to and is it wise that Raven is just trying to ignore her and deal with it?

Meanwhile, Raven and the Doctor must find a way to escape the Censored Zone before the Mistress finds out where they are. But while the Doctor is focused on that problem, Raven has one of her own. Suffice to say, Raven does not like to share her toys.

* * *

 **Chapter 42**

 **Detention.**

The bell rang, snapping Rachel out of her daze. That was the end of school bell and everyone was packing their things away.

Rachel tried to pack her own things away but then Mister Vale spoke out.

"Miss Rachel, please stay. Remember you have detention with me." He said with too much enthusiasm.

Rachel sat back down in a huff. Marya gave her a smug look as she walked out.

"We shall see you tomorrow, friend Rachel." Stella said, hugging Rachel around her neck, which Rachel tolerated.

"Yeah, I hope Mister Vale isn't too brutal." Garfield said resting his arm on her shoulders, across the back of her neck.

"Take it off, or I will break it off!" Rachel warned sharply and Garfield snapped his hand away. She wasn't sure if he did this deliberately to annoy her, or if he really didn't understand peoples boundaries. She didn't make a big deal out of it because he never became inappropriate. To her it was more like a puppy dog barking at a grown cat. She could easily crush him, and he knew it.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow Rae." Victor said, "We still playing chess this weekend?" the larger man said.

"It's a duel." Rachel answered back. She never expected a jock like Victor to be into chess but surprisingly he was, at least she had someone to play that game with. Garfield did offer but out of fifty games she beat him in all within twelve moves, he was no challenge at all.

"Don't let Mister Vale goat you into something." Richard warned before he left too. "Don't give him an excuse to make things worse for you."

"I won't." Rachel said eyeing Mister Vale at his corner desk.

Once everyone had left Mister Vale just sat there writing something out in silence. Rachel did not move, she didn't take out her laptop, her phone, anything. She just sat quietly and just tried to focus on something to show him she was not intimidated.

The classroom door opened and in came Dolores, her face now cleaned up and her nose properly set again, though there was some scarring where the cricket ball had smashed into her. Oh yeah, Dolores was supposed to be punished too.

"Take your seat, child." Mister Vale said pointing next to Rachel. Oh god, she has to sit next to this manipulative blob of drama?

She sat down and looked rather smugly about this whole thing.

Mister Vale had said he wasn't going to punish Dolores, so what was she doing here?

Eventually Mister Vale stopped writing and stood up from the desk.

"Now, I..."

But before he could utter another word the classroom door was opened yet again and two men came in. One was short, with a dark hair cut that made him look like one of the Beatles, he had a craggy face and a rather enchanting smile. It was Doctor Troughton, their music teacher. Next to him was a taller man of a wider girth, an oval face with a mop of curly blonde hair. He was wearing a brown coat that was a patchwork of different patterns, though thankfully the colours didn't clash or it would've been an eyesore. Doctor C Baker, the drama teacher.

"Can I help you gentlemen?" Mister Vale asked a little impatiently.

"Hello to you too, mister scrap man." Doctor C Baker said, mocking.

"If you have come here to antagonise me, I warn you it won't work. I'm not as easily wound up as the other staff are." Mister Vale warned.

"Oh, nonsense Mister Vale. We just happen to bring a message from the headmistress, that's all." Doctor Troughton said and he stuck a recorder in his mouth and began to play a tune that sounded dire, like a man going to his death.

"She wants to have words with you." Doctor C Baker said, not caring to be diplomatic. "So we are taking over this detention, if you don't mind."

"I do mind!" Mister Vale said indignant, "This girl has been physically violent and..."

"It was Doctor Hartnel who instigated the punishment I believe." The curly haired man said smugly as he scratched behind his ear. "That you took over."

"Yes indeed, if you can take over from Doctor Hartnel, we can take over from you." the small man said, playing a tune which rang of defeat.

"The headmistress is waiting." Doctor C Baker said gesturing to the door.

"Oh, very well. I shall go see what she wants." He stormed past the two Teachers giving the taller one a dirty look. Baker just stuck his tongue out at Mister Vale when he turned his back.

"Now then." Doctor Troughton said, clapping his hands. "Punishment." He lowered his head and peered at the two girls. "Oh dear, I'm afraid assault is rather serious."

"As is attempted theft." Doctor C Baker chimed in looking at Dolores.

"I wasn't trying to steal anything." She lied, "I was just pushing something back in to her bag."

Doctor C Baker clearly wasn't having this.

"My dear, do I look like I have the words 'Gullible Idiot' stamped across my forehead?" and Doctor C Baker gave her a condescending look.

"Now, what punishment shall be suitable?" Doctor Troughton said almost like a playful imp who wasn't going to punish at all, but turn it into a fun game.

"Well... Listening to your recorder might be enough." The taller one joked and the shorter one gave him a grumpy look.

"I do hear that you have both been falling behind on your mathematics, so perhaps we should work on calculus." Doctor C Baker suggested.

"Capital idea!" Doctor Troughton said as if this was a fun thing to do. "Recreational mathematics! Lets learn our happy primes!"

"Sir!" It was Dolores who piped up. "Sir, with respect," there clearly wasn't, "you're a drama teacher, I don't think you're qualified to teach us maths."

"Oh really?" Doctor C Baker asked smugly, "A prime number is a whole number greater than one whose only dividing factors are 1 and itself."

"A happy number is one which starts with any positive integer." Doctor Troughton then said, "By replacing the number by the sum of the squares of its digits in base-ten. Then repeat the process until the number equals one, those are happy numbers."

Doctor C Baker then spoke, not wanting to be outdone. "Unhappy numbers are numbers which loop around in cycles which never include one." They were both saying this very fast that Rachel could barely keep up. "A number which follows both rules is both happy and prime."

Doctor Troughton then spoke. "Whole prime numbers are 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29, 31 and so on."

Then Doctor C Baker "Happy Numbers are in a sequence of 1, 7, 10, 13, 19, 23, 28, 31, and so on."

And Doctor Troughton again, "Therefore the first five happy prime numbers in the sequence given are 7, 13, 19, 23, and 31."

"Easy." Doctor C Baker said looking pleased with himself.

Rachel was just lost in the sea of words and numbers, and by the look of it Dolores was lost for words too.

"Will there be any other questions, Miss Dolores?" Doctor C Baker asked.

"Don't call me that!" Dolores spat, suddenly she was getting angry and outraged.

"Why? It's your name." Doctor C Baker said.

"Stop calling me Miss!" Dolores cried.

"Oh, alright. How do you prefer to be addressed?" Doctor C Baker asked.

"Just Dolores will do nicely." She said smugly as if she had any power here.

"Anything else, your Majesty?" Doctor C Baker mocked looking up and down at her girth, "A cup of tea? Coffee? A parade in your honour? A wrack of lamb?"

"Now, now!" Doctor Troughton said pushing past him wiggling his recorder at the curly haired teacher, "No need to get tetchy with the young girl."

"Don't call me young girl!" Dolores stood in outrage again. "I want to be treated with respect!" Doctor Troughton at first did not turn to acknowledge the girl.

"Well, maybe you should afford other people the same respect before demanding it yourself." Doctor Troughton said now turning to face her.

"I don't respect people who disrespect me!" Dolores cried.

"And we disrespected you how?" Doctor Troughton asked.

"By not calling me by the name I want to be called!" Dolores said as if this was the greatest injustice which could befall anyone.

Doctor Troughton held up his hands. "Alright. Let's just start over shall we, wipe the slate clean and start again."

"Oh you'd like that, wouldn't you." Dolores said, "So you two don't have to deal with this injustice." The two men looked at each other and shrugged, they had clearly never encountered such a girl before and didn't know how to deal with her.

They looked at Rachel and she just shrugged. "Don't look at me. I think she's from another planet too."

Dolores suddenly rose up from her chair and looked like she was about to strike at Rachel. The goth teen raised her arms to defend herself and the two Doctors moved forward to restrain Dolores, but she turned at them and screeched at them both. "Don't touch me!"

"Provided you calm down and make no attempt to strike your fellow student." Doctor Troughton said, his playful eyes suddenly betraying a fire deep within the little man.

Dolores looked like she was processing this, her eyes burnt with rage. "I won't take this bullying from teachers!" She screamed, and she picked up her bag and pushed past the two men, roughly shoving them and kicked the classroom door open before storming out.

"Another person who thinks they're the Centre of the Universe." The taller Doctor said.

Doctor Troughton just tapped his recorder against his jacket as he looked on in deep, deep thought. Without another word he walked towards the door and disappeared through it himself.

"Well then." Doctor C Baker said, scratching at a side burn again and turning to Rachel. "At least I have one unruly student to punish." He sounded more like an uncle with a niece than a teacher. "Now, I can't let you leave since your father won't pick you up for an hour. So you can stay here and do what you like. Maybe..." he said trying to sound nonchalant "...do some creative writing, perhaps."

"What?" Rachel asked. Did Doctor C Baker read her stuff too?

"I would dearly like to know how the Doctor and Raven get out of the censored zone." He smiled, "So please, don't let me stop you." He moved towards Mister Vales desk, "I shall just sit here, as quiet as a mouse, and catch up on my crochet patterns." and he dropped into the chair, put his feet up on the desk and pulled out a small, paper back book called 'the art of crochet'.

A little surprised by this, Rachel dug her laptop out and activated it. Maybe detention wasn't going to be so bad. She flexed her fingers and only as she began to write what she had been day dreaming she suddenly felt like she didn't have the energy to recount it. So many ideas were buzzing in her head and she felt like she needed to write them down. So she wrote out a short outline of what she had dreamt up to expand later and picked back up where her day-dreaming had left off.

As she wrote the outline though, a thought occurred to her.

How did Doctor C Baker know where the Doctor and Raven were going to end up? She'd only day dreamt it, she hadn't actually written nor published anything about it. So how did he know?

* * *

Ravens heart was pumping faster than she had ever known as she cast shield after shield to protect herself from the blue rod of light that kept swinging at her.

Each time it jabbed forwards or swung down she'd cast a shield and the blade of light would stop, caught on the dark shroud of energy.

The green girl called Barriss Offee was very fast and efficient with her weapon. A type of laser sword similar to the type Kasey's sixth incarnation Sechi had. Only this one was blue and the hilt looked more elegant and streamlined. It was also a fictional weapon.

The assualt stopped and Ravens dark purple eyes stared into the deep blue of Barriss's eyes. They had been at this for the past hour, it was good exercise and trained Raven not only to have better stamina, but to control and focus her powers in a moment of panic.

Without warning the space warrior girl came at her again, swinging her blade left, right, jabbed it forwards. Raven had to side step that one and it past close to her stomach.

Instinctively she grabbed Barriss's arms, and her mind froze. What was she supposed to do now?

Her hesitation cost her as Barriss twisted herself and brought her laser sword clean across Ravens midsection.

Her pain centers lit up like a Christmas tree, like an electric cattle prod had been sharply raked across her stomach.

She collapsed to the floor holding her mid section. It wasn't fatal and no scar would be left but it still hurt badly. She swallowed and tried to stop the frustration escaping through her powers, another thing this was good training for.

"You hesitated." Barriss said.

"I know I did." Raven said in frustration rubbing her stomach.

The sword was on a setting which made it harmless to touch, but it could easily have been set to cut and cauterise. Raven knew if the blade was on a full setting she'd be dead.

The blue blade of Barriss's laser sword retracted back into the hilt. The object did have a different name but Raven refused to use it.

Barriss looked at her on the floor, her eyes and face were difficult to read, as if she was consciously hiding something. Her body language was open, yet her face was unreadable.

"If I had this on full power I'd have bisected you." Barriss reminded her.

"Really? You could've reminded me." The pale girl said deadpan. Barriss had been telling her this constantly.

"Let us by pass this exercise for now and move on to meditations." Barriss said hooking the laser sword to her belt and kneeling down on the floor.

Raven adopted her meditation stance, crossing her legs and resting her hands on her knees and looping her mid finger and thumb.

Barriss on the other hand adopted a kneeling position rather than crossing her legs and rested her hands in her lap instead.

The stance didn't matter all that much. It was the ability to focus the mind that mattered.

The demon girl began to speak her mantra while Barriss just sat in silence.

As Raven disconnected from the real world she was still swirling in a mass of motion and nonsense. The world had so many things which caught your eye and mind that it still made intense focus difficult. They had been sailing in this fog for a good few days and still Raven had yet to master it and she feared her powers might start to break loose if she couldn't cage them properly.

Ravens left eye opened a fraction to see Barriss sitting peacefully, hood over her head in complete peace.

Barriss was a fictional character, so of course she could focus in this world. But the Doctor was real and he could focus in this world. There must be something she's just not getting.

"Can't focus?" Barriss asked without opening her eyes.

"I can't disconnect. I keep seeing things that ground me." Raven said. "The Doctor said I shouldn't try to focus, but work on disconnecting."

Barriss breathed in and out slowly, then back in and said. "No disrespect to the Doctor, but he doesn't know what he's talking about."

Raven mentally chuckled at how that came out. It was so fast and unexpected she couldn't help but mentally laugh.

"The Doctor has no powers to control. He meditates only to think clearly, rationally and logically." Barriss added.

The green girl seemed to have some power of her own, similar to her own but very different. Though it was different from Ravens. Raven's was like a sea held back by a dam, and she was the dam, ready to control the water but strong enough to hold it all back. If the dam broke or sprung a leak then her powers would be unleashed whether she wanted them to or not.

The way Barriss's powers worked was more like a sink tap. The powers didn't need to be held back, they were dormant and needed to be drawn up and out through focus and concentration.

Raven had to hold her powers at bay, Barriss needed great effort just to manifest them.

"Try focusing on something other than your mantra." Barriss suggested and thought. "Here, try this."

She reached forwards and took Ravens hands from her knees and positioned them by her sides and up in the air, her hands level with her shoulders.

"Try meditating like that." Barriss said.

This was different and it was taking effort to hold her arms in that position. As Raven now tried to meditate she wasn't aware her arms were slowly lowering to her sides and Barriss had to remind her to get her arms back up and into position.

Saying her chimes and balancing out her stance was making it a great deal easier to focus than before, it was actually working, somewhat. Every now and then something prodded her psychic powers and her concentration broke.

She had actually learnt something useful from this fictional character. She was learning a lot of useful things from the fictional characters in this world she was finding.

Barriss taught her about meditations. Watching Captain Hook and the Doctor talk strategy was teaching her about that. Alice taught her about this game called Chess, and the weird cabin boy Ed taught her gravy ferments and grows a skin. Yeah, not useful, and so on.

During their meditations Raven had learnt quite a lot about Barriss and it kind of made her empathise with her a little.

"I'm from an order of monks with special powers and combat training. You could view us as like the Shaolin Monks of your world, only with flashy swords and strange powers." She had explained a few days ago.

She had gone into great detail about her order, she was very forthcoming when Raven prompted her to speak. She was just as interested in Barriss, though when Barriss asked about her, Raven was deliberately evasive on the subject.

"What's it like, being a fictional character?" Raven had asked her.

"I don't know." Barriss answered, "Ask yourself what it's like to exist. You have nothing to compare it to."

"Touché." She answered.

"What I can tell you is that I'm a full embodiment of everything about the character." the alien girl had said. "I have her intellect, her dry wit, her skills and knowledge. Though I am shackled to whatever is written."

"You mean you can't evolve on your own? You can only be the way you've been written for." Raven stated.

"Exactly. I also know my own history. Backwards and forwards, even stuff that was ret-conned. That means retroactively altered."

"So what's your story?" Raven asked her.

Barriss froze at this, and she had a look of sadness on her face which passed very quickly and her face became passively neutral again. "I'm actually a very, very minor character. I was never the lead and for most of the story I was never central to the plot." She answered. "I still have my fans though, hence why I'm here."

There was something more to her that she wasn't letting on. Raven thought it best not to pry for the same reasons she didn't want anyone prying into her business.

Since that day Barriss had become some what of a tutor to Raven, taking over from the Doctor as he, Captain Hook and Alice tried to find their way out of this fog.

Raven wasn't worried. It would be a pointless waste of energy to worry. Raven couldn't find a way out of here. But she was confident the Doctor would, he usually did.

What if this Mistress or Impostor found them first though?

The Impostor! The arrogant woman who tried to take the Doctors place, take the Doctor away from her, and dared to try to manipulate her!

She felt the sea she was holding back start to shift at this moment of weakness.

 _Stop, stop, stop!_ She told herself. She could feel her powers stirring within her.

"Arms up!" Barriss reminded her, and Raven re-positioned her arms because they had sagged down to her knees.. She'll get used to this meditation stance. For everyone's sake she has to.

* * *

 _Feel the sway of the boat, focus and keep your arms up._ She thought as Raven now sat on the forward deck of the ship near the main mast and tried to meditate, and reach out to see what was ahead of them since the fog made it impossible. She felt like the Doctor was counting on her, so she felt frustrated that she was turning up nothing.

Finally deciding to give up for today she went back down to the main deck and entered the forward scout deck. Maybe she could find some peace in here instead of up on the deck. Suddenly her mind focused enough to detect two people inside, she froze as the voices came out through the crack in the door.

It was the Doctor and Barriss. They were both looking through books that were stacked on the table next to the Doctor. He was reading them at lightening speed as Barriss poured him a cup of tea and appeared to be doing it in a ritualistic way.

"Interesting way to prepare tea." The Doctor said.

"It is a ritual of my order to prepare tea in such a way." Barriss said offering a steaming cup to the Doctor.

"Must be in some obscure text, because I don't remember it." The Doctor commented.

They hadn't seen Raven yet and for some reason she held back from actually going in, instead she listened.

"Raven is struggling to focus. Is this place really so noisy to her?" Barriss asked.

"She's been brought up in a rather quiet environment. She's not used to such noises that this place throws out."

"But you seem to focus perfectly here." Barriss said, sitting down next to him, trying to look at what he was reading.

"I've had the training, all Time Lords have. Raven needs to learn." He looked away from his book and back at Barriss. "I assume coming from the Jedi Order, you've learnt how to focus your powers rather well."

"To use the Force in battle requires intense focus." Barriss said and Raven watched through a crack in the door as she levitated one of the books off the pile and brought it down to her.

Something about this Raven didn't like. She couldn't describe it, but she wanted to go in there and break up this conversation with her dad, -she meant the Doctor.

"What are you studying?" Barriss asked as the Doctor returned to his reading.

"I've evolved a hypothesis. The last few times I was here the population were just two dimensional characters. Yet, it seems some characters like Captain Hook, Alice and yourself have gained a form of sentience, a third dimension to your character. As if you're not bound to your source material."

"You flatter me, Doctor." Barriss said smiling.

The Doctor held up something he pulled from his pocket. A kaleidoscope. He'd shown it to Raven a few days ago when he'd won it at some fair in the United States. "Look through this." and Barriss did as instructed. The Doctor spun the end of it so Barriss could see the patterns swirling inside it. "What do you think of it?"

"I think it's a bunch of swirling lights and patterns." Barriss said. That was the response Raven gave to him when he'd shown it to her. She had fainted dis-interest because that's what was 'her', but she did find the patterns hypnotic and beautiful in a way.

"That's what you see." The Doctor said, "What do you think of it?"

"I think it looks..." Barriss paused and spun the kaleidoscope again, "...I think it looks beautiful."

"And it's that ability to describe things with emotion. Forming your own thoughts and ideas about things not bound to your source material. That interests me. I showed it to the Ed boy and his brain just froze."

"Have you met him?" Barriss joked.

"I showed it to the lost boys and some of the pirates. They could only describe it. There was no inspiration, no awe." The Doctor said.

"You mean like Droids before they develop personalities." Barriss concluded.

"In a way, yes. Going from your frame of reference."

"Did you show this to Raven? What did she think of it?" Barriss asked. The Doctor just shrugged away the question.

 _Hey, I found it beautiful too._ Raven thought sadly. _I... I just didn't want to tell you._

"So you think we're becoming more three dimensional as a result of...?" Barriss questioned.

"I don't know. Perhaps psychic pressure. The Land of Fiction has been active for a long time this time. Who knows what was created." He paused. "Or even evolved."

"An interesting concept." Barriss mused.

"But pointless?" the Doctor asked.

"No. I wasn't going to say that." Barriss corrected. For some reason Raven felt like a shot was just taken at her. "Does it mean that..." she paused, "I'm alive?"

"In the sense that any fictional being can be alive. I guess yes, like a robot that's gain sentience." The Doctor said. "Though still, you can't die. So what is life without the prospect of death."

"You make that sound like a bad thing." Barriss said.

"Something for philosophers to discuss. If I can ever publish my paper on the evolution of fictional characters to full sentience." The Doctor laughed. "I'll probably get laughed out of the Royal Society for it." He drummed his fingers on the book in his hand.

"Thank you, Miss Offee, you've been a great help." and he took his tea cup and sipped it. "Oh, this tea is excellent."

Raven couldn't describe what she was feeling. Listening to the Doctor and Barriss Offee's conversation just seemed to spark something in her stomach.

 _She's behaving the part of the companion._ Her mind said.

 _So what?_ Raven thought back. She didn't mind the Doctor having other friends. He's had multiple people on the TARDIS before.

 _But it would mean less attention for you._

 _We can't take Barriss, she's fictional._ She rationalised.

 _But if she's alive, does that mean she could leave this world?_ Her mind said. _Could she come with us as a fellow crew member?_

Raven swallowed.

 _Or your replacement._

 _Shut up!_ Raven cut that thought down in an instant and pushed it aside. Barriss was no threat, she was an ally. Maybe even a friend. She had taught her so much. This was just paranoia. What Raven and the Doctor were, it was special.

 _How many of his female companions thought that way?_

 _Shut up!_

 _How many has he abandoned?_

 _Shut up!_

 _How many did he get bored with and dump at the first opportunity?_

 _SHUT UP!_

She felt her hair ruffle and spike, but she kept the energy down. Closing her eyes she walked away from the door rubbing her temples and pushed those thoughts out of her head.

 _Zagreus sits inside your head._

 _Zagreus lives among the dead._

 _Zagreus..._ She recited.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** Been a while since the last update. I've been trying to fathom where the story should go. I have a notion of where to go but not a full concrete plan of how to get to it. So bare with me on this.

I've brought Barriss Offee from the Star Wars Clone Wars into this story because the two characters are similar, yet opposite. That's not the only reason I've brought her in as she does have a purpose in the plot of the story. [EDIT 11/04/19]: Even more so now with what I've just tacked onto the end.


	44. Chp 43 What she doesn't want you to see

**Chapter 43**

 **What she doesn't want you to see.**

Raven opened the door of the Captains quarters and brought in a steaming cup of tea, one she had prepared for the Doctor. She'd never made the Doctor a cup of tea in all her time with him, but...

 _Today I just feel like being nice._ She told herself. _Yeah, that's it._

Raven found the Doctor laying on his back on a couch in the Captains Quarters, staring up into the ceiling, intensely focusing on the boards above him. Gingerly she approached and set the cup of tea down on a small table next to the couch. The Doctor was totally unresponsive and didn't register her presence. Was he dead?

Slowly she waved her hand in front of his grey eyes. He didn't blink.

"Doc... Doctor?" she asked. Was something wrong? She snapped her fingers in front of his face. No response. "Doctor?!" she said, her voice rising a little.

"Can't a Time Lord get any sleep around here?" He finally said.

Raven released a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"What's wrong?" she asked, "You've been down here for hours."

"I was meditating on something." he said.

 _Showing off and mocking me, you mean._

 _Shut up!_ She hurriedly told that voice.

"About how we can get out of here?" Raven asked.

"No. About Captain Hook, and Alice, Tinkerbell and the like. You know she's more talkative than the books and movies depict her." Raven just let the Doctor ramble a little. It was better than listening to him being silent. While he was talking she knew his brain was still ticking over the problem, and she wanted to take part in the conversation now. "Barriss is a rather nice girl isn't she." He added.

Raven felt a twinge in her stomach and she remembered her interacting with the Doctor. Though maybe he was referring to the time she spent with her. "Yeah, she's okay." Raven shrugged.

"You know, they're all two dimensional characters, or supposed to be. Their motivations are usually shallow. Yet, here they behave like real, three dimensional characters."

"Yeah, I've noticed that too." She lied.

"You have?" The Doctor questioned.

"Yeah, umm..." she had to pause to think. "Like Captain Hook and how he speaks about Peter Pan." The Doctor looked impressed she'd spotted this.

"Well, in the books the relationship between Captain Hook and Peter Pan is implied and theorised, but never clear nor explicitly stated." The Doctor said. "They're not even aware of it themselves, or shouldn't be." The Doctor then raised his hands behind his head and looked at the ceiling again. "So somehow they've gained this insight into their own characters they were not privy to before."

"This could all be..."

"Pointless?" the Doctor stepped in.

 _Smart ass._ "Yeah, well it could be..." she changed the word to. "You could just be over-analysing it all."

"When do I ever needlessly over-analyse anything?" the Doctor asked indignant.

She didn't need to answer that verbally. She just gave him a look. As always he ignored it.

"It could be important. Did the Mistress cause it? Did we cause it? Something gave these characters more free will than they should be afforded."

"Bar..." she caught herself before she spoke the name. "One of the characters here said they're a collective of all works of fiction about them. Maybe there is a re-telling that adds more to their character." Raven suggested. _Oh god, '_ _ **I am'**_ _becoming his companion now._

"Could be. Some of your Earth scientists believe human consciousness and self awareness aren't born into a person. But pop into existence after certain ideas are introduced to a subject, certain ideas and ways of thinking. 'I think, therefore I am,' and such. But that implies that before that point some people act more like drones. Running on an outdated hunter gatherer and pack mentality." The Doctor sighed. "It wouldn't surprise me, since it wasn't all that long ago your species swung from trees and ate lice out of each others hair. Where your survival depended entirely on being subservient to a dominant Alpha."

"Hmm... very insightful." She said trying to fake some form of interest. But didn't know what to say next to continue the conversation.

"I like to think deep." The Doctor commented.

"Well, it's a shame it can't be better focused on getting us out of this fog." Raven said a little spitefully. Barriss was all well and good indulging the Doctor and encouraging him to keep moving on the same track. But Raven smacked his head into gear and made him focus on what was important.

"Oh, I've already worked that out." The Doctor said as if the solution was obvious. Ravens heart sank as he said this.

 _Don't tell me you discussed this with Barriss too._

"Don't play this game with me. I'm not in the mood." Raven cut him across rubbing her temples. She sighed, she had flared up. _Calm down and be at peace_. "Just pretend I'm still swinging from the trees and tell me."

"Alright. The Mistress and this Impostor want the TARDIS? You have the TARDIS in your head. Therefore they'll come after us to get at your head. They'll come after me too, because the Impostor can't be 'the Doctor' if the real Doctor is still around."

"That's your plan?" Raven said with a sharpness to her voice. "We wait until the Mistress finds us?"

"Pretty much."

"Yeah, nice plan." Raven was being sarcastic again. "Should I paint a bulls-eye on my face?"

"You don't agree?"

"You can tell? Very insightful." the demon girl bit back.

"Sarcasm does not become you."

 _No, but its fun and helps me relieve tension._ She thought in her head, but she didn't have a good thing to say in retaliation. So she just said. "Whatever." Then suddenly something occurred to her.

"Why not just surrender when those submarines attacked?" Raven asked.

"Because the point is not to surrender, but to see how they plan to enter the Censored Zone and maybe we can use the same method to get out." The Doctor explained.

"Logical." Raven commented as if not impressed. But she found the plan to be rather cunning.

"Plus, our time has not been wasted. Some of the things we've found in here have given us some insight into what the Mistress is like." The Doctor said, relaxing back onto the couch again.

Indeed, for the past few days they had been encountering phantoms. Ghosts of characters that can no longer interact nor find their way out of the fog. Stuff she didn't want to see.

"That she hates bad comedy?" Raven questioned. She felt happier now in her stride. Yes, she kept the Doctor focused. Surely that made her more valuable to him than an obsequious, patronising alien.

"Parody!" The Doctor corrected, "She hates parody. But not all parody it seems, going by the presence of the Dozen Shanpils. Parody is used to exaggerate a style, a topic or even a way of thought to the point of being comical; ever heard of the Monty Python troop? They were great at it. The 'Life of Brian' was banned in many movie theatres around the globe at the time, purely because of what it poked fun at." Raven was about to interrupt to make him get to the point, but he cut across her. "So I suspect she has a problem with Parody that covers topics she doesn't like to see mocked. Remember a few days ago..."

* * *

 **Two days previously...**

Raven was startled to suddenly see several ghostly figures materialise out of the fog on the deck of the ship.

The Doctor took this in his stride and he looked totally absorbed in what he was looking at. Captain Hook and his crew just looked bored of it as if they were expecting it.

The ghostly figures seemed to comprise of one man who was bright blue, he was also quite powerfully built, and the rest were red and quite short.

"You're a dirty, Shizno!" One of the red people said as they advanced on the blue man.

"I'm a what?" the blue man asked confused and looked a little intimidated.

"A Shizno. You know what a Shizno is!" the red men accused.

"Umm... No I don't." The larger man admitted.

"Liar!"

"I don't know."

"Well, if you don't know. Then I'm not going to tell you!" The red peopled cheered as if this was a clever and intelligent thing to say.

The tall, blue man just shrugged. "Then I can't do much about it then, can I." and he turned to leave. But the red people surrounded him and refused to let him leave.

"Yes there is. Stop being a Shizno!"

It was an odd thing to watch, because it looked like a jock was being bullied by a bunch of weedy nerds that the larger man could easily snap in two.

"Tell me what a Shizno is then, and why its a bad thing to be one."

The red men looked utterly offended that this question had to be asked.

"A Shizno is the most evil thing you can be."

"Which is?" The blue man prompted.

"It means... it means..." the red man was looking at his fellows like he was hoping someone else would hop in and take over from this uncomfortable situation.

"It means your bad!" and the group of red people nodded in agreement.

"Why aren't any of you Shiznos then?" he asked. The group burst into laughter, but it happened only after the one leading them burst into laughter first.

Weird, in Raven's mind this made them look more like a hive collective link, a colony of ants or bees, and that they followed their leader blindly.

"We can't be Shiznos, you idiot!" the leader of the red people said, "Because we are red. You are a blue!" They all nodded in agreement.

"I'm actually purple." the blue man said. As Raven looked more closely she could see that the blue person was actually more a purple, but the fog made him look more blue.

The red people started to look uncomfortable. In fact, they weren't all the same shade of red themselves, some were bordering on a red-ish purple.

"Doesn't matter. You still have blue blood in you. That still makes you a Shizno!" and again they all nodded in agreement.

"What, is there a quota of blue blood to be met to be this evil thing called a Shizno?" the tall man asked with sarcasm in his voice. Sarcasm the red men took seriously as they just nodded but didn't elaborate. "What chance does that give me? Okay, lets say I am a Shizno..."

The gang roared with celebration. "He gets it, at last!"

"Lets say I am... what do we do about it? What do you want from me?"

The gang stopped their celebration and looked at each other as if this had never occurred to them.

"To not be a Shizno!" and the gang again nodded in agreement.

"But you said being a Shizno is tied to my blue blood. Yes?" They nodded in agreement. "How exactly am I supposed to change that?!"

Again the reds looked confused. God, they hadn't thought this all through. Did any of them think this 'Shizno' thing through?

The leader suddenly looked like he had an idea and he laughed as if he'd always planned to say it. "There is more to being a Shizno than if you're blue." He stood proudly.

"But it's a pre-requisite." The tall man said. The red mans face dropped as if he knew what was coming and opened his mouth to move on, but the blue man cut him off. "It's apparently an important one to you, and it's a physical trait I can't change."

The red man had painted himself into a corner and the blue man was not going to let him off.

Raven was actually enjoying this. Though she didn't find it funny; it was clearly supposed to be, she was still loving it. What it had to do with anything she didn't understand, but clearly it was something to do with unfounded prejudice. That was something she could relate to.

"You hate our people, just admit it." The red man finally said. "You hate us and you think we're a threat to you!"

"Hey there." Said the voice of a new actor to the stage. A man, petite and a vivid shade of red and long, lovely flowing hair.

"Hey there." The tall man said in greeting and linked arms with the new character. He clearly knew the new person.

The red men looked utterly defeated and deflated.

"Who are your friends?" the new-comer asked.

"A bunch of Shizno's, I think."

"What's a Shizno?"

"Grop if I know." and they both walked off and vanished from the stage.

The red men looked at each other as if trying to process what had just happened.

"What do we do now?" one of the red men asked. They looked around, confused again.

"I know." Their leader said. "We go on social media. Describe that we met a dirty Shizno, and we put him in his place!"

"And we'll get up-votes?!" the others said.

"Yes, and we get up-votes!" and they all got a dreamy look on their faces as if they were somehow drugged up.

Then the ghosts vanished altogether.

Raven just stared at the space. She had no clue what had just happened. What were 'up-votes'? What was 'Social Media'? As her brain tried to process it her mouth formed her confusion into words.

"What the fu..."

* * *

 **A few days later...**

And they had found another ghostly image playing for them.

This time it looked like a sports team. Several bulky men all gathered together and a coach. It looked like this sport she'd heard of called Rugby, or "an Americanised version of the sport called Football, not to be confused with Soccer which is also called Football." Or so the Doctor had tried to explain to her.

"Now can anyone tell me, what this is?" the coach said and held up a strangely shaped ball.

"It's a football." One of the boys said.

"Very good. Now keep an eye out for this! Because it's going to be important." The way the coach was speaking made it sound like he was making room for laughter. "Now we've established what a ball is now tell me, what are we supposed to do with it?"

This went on for a good few minutes with the coach just comically talking down to his team as if they were idiots. Something about the way the coach talked made the whole thing humorous, but it was all lost on Raven since she didn't know the first thing about "American Football."

The Doctor seemed to like it though, and he burst out laughing a few times.

The coach had just been assigning positions of the players when suddenly a voice spoke up.

"What position have you got for me?!" it was a girl, she was already in the teams colours and carried a helmet under her arm ready to play, and her shirt had a number one on it. "That's right, a girl wants to play Football. What do you men think of that?"

 _She wants to play that sport?_ Raven thought. Her mouth moved to one side of her face. She didn't buy it. The girl looked too well groomed to want to play a rough sport.

"That's actually fine with us." The coach said, "We already have three girls on the team."

The boys parted to show three girls in their equipment, one was even spinning a football on her finger.

The new girl looked crestfallen and dropped the helmet she had in her hand. Suddenly she flared back up again.

"How dare you talk down to those girls, you big bully!" she shouted.

"He talked down to the boys too. What are you talking about?!" one of the three girls said.

Again it was like the pretty girl had taken a knock to her confidence, so much so she took a step back at the sight of all the eyes who were on her. People who clearly thought she was an idiot.

"Football's not really my thing anyway." Said with false confidence. "After all, what civilised society allows boys to play with the skin of a defenceless, innocent, pig!" She said. Raven guessed she was referring to the footballs.

"These balls are synthetic." One of the girls piped up. "And each one we buy, a dollar goes to local animal shelters."

This time the pretty girls face went really, really red with embarrassment. She opened her mouth as if wanting to say something else. She looked like she was going to cry.

She spun around and ran out of the gate and off screen, and Raven heard the girl burst into tears. Then the ghosts vanished.

"What the heck was that all about?" Raven asked.

"I think..." the Doctor began, "The girl never wanted to play the sport. She wanted to feel like she was fighting some outdated injustice."

Raven thought about it and said. "But the injustice didn't exist."

"Exactly."

"So she wanted to play the hero?" Raven concluded and thought a little more. What if they had accepted her onto the team? She clearly had no real interest in playing the sport. She did it only to make her feel like she was some big hero to society.

"It's a little like hero syndrome." The Doctor started talking. "Where the feeling and emotional buzz of being a hero, of being applauded for doing something good, is so great you invent situations to save people from, or make up enemies to fight. A very seductive way of doing things, especially if you have plenty of people to boast about it to later, giving you more of an emotional buzz."

Raven decided she would meditate on this concept. Was that like how the children of Azarath saw her? They 'fought' her because it made them feel like a hero battling evil? She was evil only because in their own personal story there needed to be a bad guy. If it wasn't her, would it have been someone else?

"Do you have a Doctorate in film studies too?" Raven asked the Doctor.

"Well... I dabble a little." the Doctor said looking out into the fog. "I remember when I met Alfred Hitchcock..." the Doctor was showing off again, and it was a person Raven had no clue about, so the impression would be lost on her. But rather than saying anything she turned on her heel and walked away leaving the Doctor to figure out he was just talking to himself.

* * *

Now back in the present day with the Doctor staring up at the ceiling. Raven had settled down into a chair as they had both discussed what they had seen in this place. They had seen much more than just those two sketches, but stuff like that was what the Doctor was fascinated by.

"Why does she hate those little sketches, do you wonder?" the Doctor asked, prompting her to think.

"Because they're terrible comedies." Raven dismissed.

"Humour is subjective." The Doctor shrugged. "I think she got rid of them because she didn't like what they mocked."

"A bunch of people calling someone a name? And a girl seeking attention?" Raven questioned.

"Maybe its more for personal reasons why she banished them here." The Doctor sighed, "They contextualised something about her in a way she doesn't appreciate." He mused.

"Surprise me." She added sarcastically. Someone must've been listening to her, because it felt like the world came to a screeching halt and both she and the Doctor were thrown to the floor. Anything not nailed down suddenly rushed forwards or tipped up.

"Raven, are you hurt?" the Doctor coughed.

"Only my dignity." She groaned.

"Sufficiently surprised?" the Time Lord asked.

Raven drew a blank on what to say back, so just gave the Doctor a look to show her grumpy mood.

"I think we've rammed into something." The Doctor said.

"Tell me about it." She said, and as she got up she saw the cup of tea she'd made for him. It had smashed to the floor. Her gesture gone unnoticed.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

Authors notes: The girl wanting to play football skit was based off an old Simpsons episode. I never understood the significance of it until I saw the episode again recently and now being a few years wiser I understood exactly what she was trying to do. I added it into this story because it emphasises the kind of person the Mistress is like.

I've tried to mimic the comedy of Monty Python for the first sketch. Which pokes fun at an absurd trend I've noticed on social media these days and one I feel the Mistress would be a part of.

I now have an outline for what I'm doing with this portion of the story so updates on this story might come faster. ;)


	45. Chapter 44, Ravens Rival

**Authors Notes:** Just a reminder to keep in mind, I'm just trying to be true to the fictional characters I'm adding to the story. The opinions and thoughts held by these characters do not necessarily reflect my own.

* * *

 **Chapter 44**

 **Ravens Rival.**

The keel had beached on something, and whatever it was it was large enough to bring the ship to a crashing halt. Through the still mist Raven could see what looked like two large, flat boulders that the ship had wedged itself between.

The Pirate crew and the lost boys had swung over the side and were making an attempt to push the boat off again. They asked the strong boy, Ed to push it since he seemed infinitely strong, but Ed was either too strong or the hull wedged too well because all it resulted in was Ed pushing an Ed shaped hole in the hull, further wrecking the ship.

"You could've asked me to push the boat off." Raven commented as she joined the Doctor on this spit of land.

The Doctor, Raven, Captain Hook, Alice and now the space monk Barriss were assembled. As Raven landed she noted that the floor felt as hard as stone and yet slippery at the same time.

Captain Hook and Alice surveyed the ship while the Doctor knelt down, picked up some dust in his hand and rubbed it between his fingers, a thoughtful look on his face.

Raven stood and watched but didn't interrupt his thought pattern.

"What are you thinking about, Doctor?" Asked Barriss of the Time Lord.

"There's something about this soil that doesn't sit right." He said clapping his hands together to clean them off.

"Looks like dirt to me." Barriss said.

"The devil is in the detail." He replied and moved off.

Raven stared at Barriss for a little as she walked off to join the Doctor. The demon daughter found that watching Barriss interact with the Doctor just irritated her.

"Think you can clear this fog for me?" The Doctor asked Barriss, and Barriss responded by waving her arms and using her own powers to push the fog back. It was like a sphere ballooned out from her, clearing the fog from around them. "Thank you."

He looked around the area which had been cleared. The fog was slowly s tarting to flow back over the fifty foot radius of space she had cleared. Barriss walked ahead to clear more fog, and while she was ahead of them Raven came and stood next to the Doctor and out of Barriss's earshot she asked him.

"What did you ask her for?" She said trying and failing to keep her emotions from her voice. "I'll do it."

"You know, that's a good idea. Why don't you go help your friend." The Doctor said as he examined the ground again. "Try to find something that'll help us get our bearings."

"What bearings?" Raven asked.

"This may be the Land of Fiction, but I'm banking on the laws of seafaring navigation to hold up." The Doctor replied.

"Just like physics does?" Raven rolled her eyes.

She walked past him and joined Barriss. Activating her own powers and saying her chimes she waved her hands and a large bubble of dark energy sprouted from her fingers and expanded to push the fog away. The more they worked the further the fog was pushed away.

"I see why you respect the Doctor." Barriss said to her as they worked. "He's such a wise and gentle man. Yet underneath there is a power to him."

Raven remained silent. There were so many emotions floating through her head now and she needed to focus and concentrate.

"Are you finding it easier to meditate?" Barriss asked. The answer was no, she was still having trouble. But she didn't want to speak.

After a little longer with the silence Barriss spoke up again. "If I have offended you..."

"Just shut up, and let me work." Raven said sharply looking at her. She didn't know why, but looking at Barriss now made her feel very irritated. Watching her work her powers like Raven does, watching her interact with the Doctor. It was... upsetting her. She got the feeling she knew why, but some part of her would not acknowledge that thought.

"I know we both look similar, but rest assured you are still a unique individual and..." Barriss started saying.

"I said shut up!" Raven felt her eyes flash red. Something which startled Barriss and made her shrink away. Quickly Raven shut her eyes, looked away and rubbed her eyes with her fingers while pulling up her hood over her face.

"Whatever I did. I am sorry." Raven didn't respond. Barriss didn't do anything wrong. She was just being helpful to them. She was just a fiction. It wasn't as if the Doctor would ask her to come with them in the TARDIS, right?

 _You could have her all wrong. She might just be helping him._ Raven didn't know what that thought was talking about. Raven felt she was within inches of understanding what she was feeling, but not wanting to face nor consider it she just pushed it away. It couldn't hurt her if she didn't acknowledge she felt that way.

She had started off liking Barriss, but that like was fast becoming dislike. For some reason her brain was telling her the alien girl was a threat to her. Like she was going to steal something from her, but she couldn't put those thoughts into context. It couldn't hurt her if she didn't acknowledge she felt that way.

Her mind kept going around and around in those circles, not reaching a conclusion until her own frustration in her mind billowed out and energy escaped her. The fog cleared from all around her from much further than Barriss had managed. Unfortunately her emotional and energetic outburst had also pushed both Barriss and the Doctor over onto the hard floor.

A little bashfully she looked to the Doctor and said in a small voice. "Sorry." She looked to Barriss and just gave her a cold look.

 _You stay away from him!_ Her mind said. If she was a threat to her, maybe she was a threat to him too.

 _Or maybe you're just jealous._

 _Shut up!_ She told that thought before it had a chance of being expressed. _The Doctor won't abandon me._ And like that all thoughts relating to this stopped. It couldn't hurt her if she didn't acknowledge she felt that way. Yet the feeling still lingered.

"Curious composition." The Doctor said, "This stone and these rocks."

"What are they? Precious minerals?" Barriss asked. Raven turned and approached the Doctor as he held the stones up for them too see.

"In a purely geological sense they are more precious then diamond." He licked one of the stones.

 _Eww._ Raven felt disgusted.

"I think the ground is made of Keratin." The Doctor summarised.

"What?" Raven asked trying to get ahead of Barriss.

"You mean the stuff our hair, finger nails and skin are made from?" Barriss piped up. Of course a healer would know what that stuff was, and it just ground Ravens gears that she didn't know it.

"Exactly," The Doctor said smiling clearly pleased with Barriss.

 _I hate you._ Said a stray thought in Ravens mind as she looked at Barriss.

"So, we're standing on a giant finger nail?" Barriss asked, a note of concern in her voice as she looked around.

"Or a claw maybe?" The Doctor suggested, "or maybe there is a legend of an island made of toe nails that I'm not aware of, but enough people believe to make it real."

 _That's stupid!_ Raven wanted to say, but she found herself biting her tongue.

"I'm not aware of any such legend." Barriss added.

"No, but I suppose coming from a fictional Galaxy far, far away means you don't get to hear many genuine legends that aren't made up." The Doctor shrugged.

"People believe many strange things." Raven added.

"Exactly. You should come to Earth some time. A marvellous place, very inventive, but some of the falsehoods people are willing to believe boggles the mind." The Doctor said, talking to Barriss.

"I would love to." Barriss smiled a charming, yet mysterious smile.

 _I really hate you._ Raven thought and her eyes became darker as they looked at Barriss.

The Doctor clicked his fingers and pointed up into the sky. The two girls looked and they could see poking out of the edge of the fog what looked like a cliff edge.

"Rae Rae, go up there, clear the fog and tell me what you can see." The Doctor said and Raven felt her spirit lift at being given something she could do that Barriss could not. Fly.

"Oh yes sir." Raven said with a little attitude, but obeyed. She floated up off the ground and up towards the edge of the cliff. Crossing her arms and activating her powers she cleared the fog away within seconds.

But there was literally nothing to see, just more of the strangely shaped ground. There was a pattern on it, she noted, of dark and brown, and it looked like the ground had been built up as layers that were pushed outwards.

Raven turned back to the Doctor to relay this information. But she faced nothing but whiteness. The fog had closed over them and Raven couldn't see them.

She reached out with her telepathic powers to feel for the Doctors brain, but... no that was fogged up too.

Raven dropped to the foot of the cliff again and began to realise.

"Doc.. Doctor!" she called into the fog, "Doctor, can you hear me? Doctor?! Barriss?!"

She was lost.

* * *

Raven wandered in the fog for what felt like forever. Following the slope of the ground down she hoped she'd find the sea and could follow it around to the ship. She was aware a flaw in this plan meant if she chose the wrong direction when she reached the sea she might end up walking further away from the ship, not closer to it.

She did consider flying above the fog, but what good would that do? And she was concerned if she tried to return to land, she'd miss it and get lost in the open ocean waiting for her concentration to falter and she'd fall into the sea.

"Doctor! Barriss! Alice! Hook!" She cried out, but no response.

"I'm a good person, I'm a good person, I'm a good person." Said a voice in the fog. The words sent a shiver up her spine like she'd heard a ghost, but the voice didn't belong to anyone she knew. She calmed down but watched with bewilderment as two men crossed her vision. One smashing his fist down onto the second who had his arms up in a defensive posture and was making no effort to fight back. The one hitting the other man was saying, "I'm a good person, I'm a good person. This man is a bad man you see, see?! I'm attacking a bad man, that makes me a good person. I'm a good person." The semi-ghostly figure stopped, spotted Raven and moved towards her on his hands and knees. "I'm a good person, aren't I a good person? Please like me, please tell me I'm a good person."

Raven was instantly creeped out by this guy and shrieked, "Get the hell away from me!"

"But I'm a good person!" He shuffled on his knees towards her as if begging for forgiveness for a transgression that wasn't obvious. "Please, tell me I'm a good person."

"Are you another parody the Mistress doesn't like?" Raven asked. She looked at the second figure who, despite having a black eye and a bloody nose was trying to limp away from this creepy man.

"Someone good doesn't like me? Oh the shame, what must I do to prove my goodness to people?!" and instantly he got up and ran back at his victim and tried to pound his fist into his head again. The other man retreated as the first continued his assault. "I'm attacking a bad man! I'm a good person. Please like me, someone please tell me I'm a good person." and the two vanished into the fog with the assaulting man screaming. "I'm a good person, the world is full of so many bad people. Everyone is bad, every one is evil!... Except me! Please, like me!" Then the voice was gone.

Raven thought what she had seen before was disturbing but this was a whole new level. That 'parody' can't be talking about a real person, surely. It wasn't even funny, it was more disturbing than anything else. Could someone want to be liked so badly and become so desperate to prove it that they'd attack people? To proclaim them to be bad and attack them?

 _Of course they would,_ she realised, _you're an example of the 'bad guy' people make up and fight._

A few more steps and another 'parody' appeared in the fog. A boy was sitting in the sand playing sandcastles. Suddenly a little girl with innocent looking eyes approached. Sat at the boys back and began poking him over and over and over with a stick. "Quit it." Said the boy, trying to shrug it off. "Stop it!" He said sharply when the girl wouldn't stop. After a while the girl looked like she was getting annoyed. She looked around as if to check if someone was looking. The girl looked straight through Raven as if she wasn't there. Then the girl picked up a hand full of sand and tossed it into the boys eyes. Finally fed up the boy reared up, drew back his fist and smacked the girl. "GO AWAY! He shouted. Just before impact the girl had an odd expression on her face, it was fear mixed in with anticipation, as if this is what she wanted to happen.

The girl then ran away with a clear red mark across her face, and she was screaming "Wahhh! Mummy, Daddy, I'm being bullied." The two kids vanished into the fog.

 _A metaphor of the children of Azarath._ Raven thought.

After a long while walking the goth girl decided to call out into the fog again.

"HELLO!" Raven called out into the fog in the hopes of anyone hearing her.

"You don't believe, do you?" said a weak voice from somewhere, and Raven decided to follow.

"Surprised?" Said a rough sounding voice, "I would've thought God would've warned you I was coming."

As Raven approached this figure in the fog he began to become more distinct. He was quite tall and lanky with greying hair and a thin beard. He wore a cheap looking suit over a T-shirt both of which looked unkempt and dishevelled. He seemed to have a manner of superiority, arrogance and indifference. He was also leaning on a cane and limped along like his right leg was in some considerable pain.

"We're usually not informed of our trials before they happen. Or else they wouldn't be trials. My faith is clearly being tested."

The taller man hobbled around a bed which looked like it had a sick person in it.

"Faith, it's another word for 'Ignorance' isn't it?" The tall man stated. "I never understood how someone could believe in something with no evidence at all, or in the face of evidence to the contrary. Like its something to be celebrated."

"He asks for our trust. You can't love someone and not trust them." The man in the bed said.

"Yes, but trust has to be earnt. It can't just be given away free like a packet of skittles." The man said in a condescending tone. "How can you trust someone who doesn't want to be found? Someone so good at it he could be considered the worlds greatest hide and seek player?"

"I help people." The man in the bed said.

"No. You make them 'believe' you're helping them, when all you're doing is providing a placebo effect." The taller man said. "I don't know if you truly believe you're a faith healer or if its all some elaborate act. Either way, you clearly enjoy what you do."

"And why wouldn't I?" The ill man said. "I see the smile on their faces, I see people happy, and free."

"Until the medication wears off, and they're miles away in another state when they realise it wasn't the faith that releaved the pain. But the hundreds of years of medical science." He paused and looked the man straight in the eye. "Maybe they even come back. They want you to work your voodoo again, make them feel better. At some price or profit for yourself I'm guessing."

"All my work is done charitably." The man shot back.

"Oh, I never said the profit was monetary." He grinned and limped over to the side of the bed. "You enjoy the pats on the back. The 'well dones'. The tearful 'thank yous'. It's addictive isn't it?" He leaned over the bed and his voice had an edge to it like a hypnotising snake, clearly mocking the man. "A quick shot of dopamine to the system. It's like crack cocaine for your mind. So you keep doing it, thinking 'What harm am I causing people if I'm making them happy? If I'm making them secure?'" His voice took on a dark edge. "And then you convince one of my patience that she's healed, and she doesn't need medical treatment. She steps outside the hospital. On the drive home she suffers a brain seizure and crashes, killing not only herself, but a mother and child on the side walk."

The mans expression softened and almost looked horrified at this news. "I... I can't be held responsible for that!"

"No, that is true. You got me there. She was totally responsible for her own actions. After all, stupid people do stupid things. But stupid people are usually led by idiots, whether well meaning or not, into walking towards a mirage instead of their canteen because you've convinced them there's more water over there, by the palm trees where Elvis is preforming live on stage."

The man fell silent and looked like he was contemplating what he had done. Whatever that was.

Suddenly the taller man turned and faced Raven.

"Ah, another patience."

"What?" Raven said startled at being addressed. Unlike the other people banished to this place this man was the most solid and self aware.

"Let me guess. Limited sun exposure. Understandable given the fog. Malnourished going by how skinny you are and the darkness around the edges of your eyes." Raven sighed at this man. "You're also contemplating your position in the universe and society. You feel a weight on your shoulders and you've contemplated suicide over it."

Ravens position shifted and she crossed her arms over her chest.

"oooh, a defensive move. Have I rattled the demons cage?" He mocked.

"And you are?" Raven asked.

"Doctor Gregory House, MD. Unlike your Doctor friend I do have a medical degree, also I'm less naive and have better hair." He was very relaxed, with great arrogance yet also with an edge of humour to it.

"I can see why you're here." Raven shot back.

"So I'm frequently told." House said. "The Mistress doesn't like 'fictions' talking back to her."

"I know the feeling." Raven said, and looked around again for the Doctor.

"Did your mother abuse you?" House asked.

"What?" Raven asked.

"The answer is yes. But not by your mother. Do you hate your father?" Raven was about to speak again when the old man cut her off. "Yes, you do hate your father. Trust me when I tell you dads are over-rated. But that's not the cause of your abuse. No. Any brothers or sisters? No. So school chums then? Children on the street? You were both isolated and bullied as a child going by your stellar social skills. You had no one to 'big you up'. Make you stand up and take on the bullies. To make them pay. Or you had the ability, but not the willingness to use it."

He must be getting it from reading her mind! So she tried to close it, wall it off so he couldn't read it.

"You look at the Doctor longingly. But not lustfully. Which indicates a parental rather than a sexual attachment. But going by the horrified look on your face it tells me you've at least thought about it, even if you have dismissed it."

He was reading her emotions through her face! Quickly Raven flipped her hood up and tried to hide her face within it. Doctor House looked smug.

"Shut up." She spat.

"Deep down you fear you're growing attached to him, and you fear what it'd feel like to lose him."

"Shut up!" She spat louder.

"You think the taller hooded girl is a threat. You're jealous that she and your Doctor get along so well, and you think she'd be a better 'companion' than you."

"SHUT UP!"

"You want gratification from him. But you don't just want it given. No, you want to earn it. So you try your hardest to earn his approval, while at the same time pretending to be as nonchalant and uninterested as possible to not give the game away that behind his back you secretly call him daddy."

"I SAID SHUT UP!" She screamed, and Doctor Houses cane suddenly snapped in two and he fell to the ground in a heap.

Despite laying on the floor in pain he still sounded collected. "Not the worst reaction I've ever gotten. You clearly have powers and you're scared of them. A God, a Giant, a Titan among the mortal men, its so easy to mangle, injure and kill with a swipe of your hand; and with all the angst, anger and turmoil of being a teenager to boot."

Silence passed between them.

"Well, I will say you're holding your nerve better than I expected, Little Miss Teen Titan."

She really didn't like this Doctor House, he was scary, arrogant, condescending and he seemed to be able to sniff out a falsehood a mile away, even through her body language. He carried himself like someone who had such an experience of how people work that he could predict what people were like at a glance. But what kind of scared her is that she could see reflections of herself in him. She hated that.

"Hey, no need to be scared of me." That didn't reassure her. "I'm happy enough." He said on the floor as he popped the cap off a pill bottle and shoved a couple into his mouth. "We're both freaks, and outsiders. Trust me, I tried fitting in, it's never all its cracked up to be. To be accepted you have to sacrifice who you are." His cane was now strangely back as one piece as he got up. "It's better to be respected for who you are. Than to sell yourself for social rewards and privileges, such as the privilege of talking to other idiots who also have to mind their speech to maintain such privileges."

"You're an asshole." Raven shot at him.

"I'm also right."

"I'm sure that's really comforting to you." said Raven sarcastic tongue.

Gregory House smiled. "But at least you now know 'Who' I am, instead of what I choose to hide behind." He dusted himself down. "Sadly, the all powerful and wise Mistress of this land would rather hide herself behind a mask. She was right about one thing in her god awful long spiel to me before she banished me here. She feels oppressed because she is oppressed, but it's not by who she thinks it is. Some prefer to be among sheep with the security of a Shepard, than a wolf comfortable to have it both ways."

"Why are you even talking to me?" Raven asked as Doctor House tried to hobble away.

He stopped, looked deep into her eyes and shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe I'm just an asshole who gets a rush of enjoyment ripping off peoples masks." And he pulled back Ravens hood to see her face. "Now that I see you, I can now judge if you can be trusted."

"And what if I don't want to be judged?" Raven bit back.

"People are always going to judge you." House said starting to hobble backwards away from her. "It might as well be 'you' and your actions and words that they judge, and not the mask you hide behind." And he vanished into the fog.

"And what if I'm comfortable hiding behind a mask?!" Raven shouted after him, she didn't know why but she was angry at all this.

From the fog came Houses voice, mimicking a noise. "Baa!" came his sheep impression.

* * *

Again Raven was reaching through the fog. Her eyes were useless so she settled for listening. Trying to hear foot steps or voices, anything that'd give her a clue where to go.

It was getting cold, and slowly it was getting darker. She really didn't want to be out here at night.

She never realised how vulnerable she was. This was like the first time she stepped from the TARDIS, fighting those Shaydes. She had felt invincible because of her intense powers, but the more she travelled with the Doctor; the more and more like a mortal she began to feel. She could certainly die and from the most mundane of things. The cold, from drowning, trauma and injury. Her powers weren't the protective shield she thought they were, and they were certainly no use to her now.

"HALT!" cried a booming voice and Raven was so startled her hair stood up on end as power escaped her, it all fell back into place once she calmed down. "Who approaches my domain?!"

"It..." she cleared her throat and stood tall, all five foot of her. "I am Raven." She said in her raspy voice trying to add some intensity and menace to it.

"Go away!" Cried the voice. "I am a great and powerful wizard, and I do not welcome you to my domain!" What looked like powerful lights were shining here and there, whizzes and bangs to show off his power. Raven kept her cool, at least externally.

"In the Censored Zone?" she questioned.

The voice fell silent. "Ye...yes! I am the Master of the Censored Zone!"

Considering the Doctor had named it the 'Censored Zone' himself, it was unlikely anyone here knew it was called that. Something didn't smell right.

Raven took a step forwards and prepared to defend from an attack.

"GO AWAY, Come no closer!" The voice cried. "Or I shall attack!"

She got the sense this person couldn't hurt her even if he wanted to. It was all a bluff.

Raising her hand she used a little power and parted the fog in front of her.

There was a large, hot air balloon sitting on the ground, the balloon still high in the air with the words 'State Fair, Omaha' printed on the balloon. The magical lights appeared to be just fire works that were being set off by a man in old fashioned clothes. He was facing away from her and his booming voice was coming from some mechanical device he held up to his mouth, amplifying it through a speaker grill.

This guy was a fraud. He was also fully solid and substantial. Like she, or Captain Hook were.

"I have spoken. Come no further forwards, or feel the wrought of the great and powerful...!" He turned and was so startled to see her he dropped his microphone. "...Wizard of Oz." He finished in a weaker voice.

Raven rolled her eyes. "Of course you are."

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors Notes:** Other names for this chapter I had considered where, "Masks we hide behind." "We're always hiding ourselves." "Uncomfortable Characters" and "The joys of ripping another's mask off." Titles which more deal with the meat the chapter is cutting into. But I settled on Ravens Rival, which was shorter, punchier and caught the eye better, and still technically deals with themes in the chapter.

I felt making Barriss and Raven rivals for the Doctors attention, (at least in Ravens mind.) would mirror a similar rivalry that happens to Raven later between her and Terra.

The scene from House M.D. is similar to a scene I watched recently on the show, and I thought fitted perfectly. I modified the scene mostly so it can't be claimed I'm stealing from the episode. Copyright has gone bananas in recent years.


	46. Chapter 45 The Sleeping Leviathan

**Authors notes:** Following some advice I have gone back and expanded chapters 42, 43 and 44, to add some extra build up to the animosity Raven has for Barriss.

* * *

 **Chapter 45**

 **The Sleeping Leviathan.**

"I don't know how I got here." The Wizard of Oz said. "After I left Oz to return Dorothy home I got lost. I'm not sure how it all works you see." He pointed at the balloon.

"Then why were you flying it to start with?" Raven asked. But the Wizard looked clueless and unable to answer that question.

If the Doctors theory that fictional characters here could evolve to become three dimensional people was right, then clearly it hadn't happened to the Wizard of Oz, yet.

"So, what can the Wizard do for you? I've become adept at giving people brains, hearts and courage." He said going into his balloons basket and pulling out a travel case which he popped open. "I see you already have a brain on your shoulders, and courage to approach me. I think I have a spare heart in here, somewhere."

"I don't need anything like that, thank you." Raven dismissed.

"How do you expect to 'feel' without a heart?" The Wizard said, pulling a heart shaped pocket watch from his case.

"A heart just pumps blood. It doesn't 'feel'." Raven sighed.

"Yours does, maybe." He pulled out more pocket watches from his case.

"Everyone's does."

"You mean to tell me you never get a warm feeling in your heart when you're around your family or friends?" The Wizard asked.

"Yeah, it's called heartburn." She commented as he held out a heart shaped pocket watch to her chest as if trying to match one too her.

"Funny how people with a brain have the capacity to tell such fibs." He held out one to her and pushed it into her hands. "Here you go. The perfect one."

She looked at it. "It's broken." She commented, because the hands of it were still.

"Well, at least you have one now." He said.

Not wanting to argue she hung the watch behind her broach. She'll discard it later when he's not looking.

"I'm looking for my friends. A tall man with unkempt hair, dressed kind of like you; or a green girl with tattoos across her nose in a hooded cloak and skirt." She then added in a low voice. "Probably attached to him by a piece of string."

"Oh, I'm afraid I can't help you there. Oh no. I've seen hide nor hair of anyone all day." The Wizard said, packing his things away. "I landed because I wanted to go see the elephants."

"Elephants?" Raven asked.

"Yes, yes. The big elephants. I saw them from the balloon. Once I saw them, I knew I'd found land. Find them and they should lead us back to civilisation." The Wizard said, finally packing everything away.

"You're welcome to join me. We might bump into your friends along the way." That was true. If there were elephants on this spit of land then likely the Doctor would find them too.

She wasn't worried. The Doctor wouldn't just abandon her here, he'd keep looking until he found her.

 _Unless he's found someone better than you._

 _Shut it!_

The Doctor will have to find her anyway. After all, she still had the TARDIS inside her head. She quickly focused in on herself and could visualise the TARDIS standing alone in a meadow, one of the more pleasant places of her own mindscape.

Satisfied the TARDIS was safe she set off after the Wizard who began walking in a particular direction.

"Do you know where you're going?" Raven asked him.

"I just figured I'll head into the fog until I hear an elephants trumpeting." He said.

"Nice plan." She rolled her eyes. "The same method blind men use." She sighed and thought for a second. "Do you have a rope?"

"Hmm? Why, yes, plenty of the stuff." The Wizard said, and Raven held out her hand for a length. "Why ask?" He handed some to her.

"You said you saw the elephants from the sky. So I'll fly up there and look for them. You keep hold of this rope so I can find my way back." She tied the rope around her waist and gave the other end to him.

"I think my ears deceive me, did you say... fly?" He asked in astonishment as Raven gently stepped off the ground and ascended into the sky. She flew for a good few minutes before she emerged above the fog. She glanced around the place, but there was no land poking up from which she could see an elephant.

But then she saw it. It was huge! Giant! It was milling around with its trunk in the air as if looking for something, or holding something up. It's eyes rolled and it spied her. It's eyes must be bigger than she was!

Quickly she dropped to the ground and gently landed next to the old fraud Wizard. His mouth flapping.

"Umm... You're not a... a... a witch are you?" He asked clearly intimidated by her.

"Yes." She answered sharply.

"Oh, umm... a good witch I hope." He chuckled.

"I'll bring death and ruin to everything." She didn't know why she said it, it just slipped out.

"Oh..." The Wizard chuckled nervously as if she was joking. "How nice."

* * *

They headed off in the general direction of the large elephant. It can't be difficult to miss, it was large enough.

Raven did wonder what a giant elephant was from, and why the Mistress might have put it here. But she was drawing a blank. Does she just hate elephants? Was it put here before? Did the Mistress even invent the Land of Fictions Censored Zone? Or was it here before and the Mistress just added to it?

As they wandered Raven and the Wizard did come across more ghostly creatures banished into this realm. First four children which were weirdly animated. They bobbed up and down with their legs still as they moved forwards, unless viewed from the front or back, then you could see their legs moving; and they looked like they were constructed out of coloured pieces of paper. They had conversed with each other, it got heated and they became foul mouthed. From then most of their speech seemed to come to a stop, covered over with a loud 'bleep' and a big black rectangle formed over their mouths masking them.

Never having seen a TV show before Raven had no idea what she was witnessing. But she guessed the bleeps were covering over offensive words, maybe.

The kids moved on but the larger of the four kids looked at Raven and the Wizard, and said. "Pft, a [Bleep] bunch of freaky emo gothic [bleep]s" and moved on.

"I hate this place." Raven said to herself.

Moving again they encountered more strange characters and scenes. But Raven just tuned them out and walked past them. She'd already had her fill talking to Doctor House earlier, she had no interest in speaking to another one.

After a small climb the ground levelled out considerably and it was getting colder. Another quick check above by Raven told her they were in this giant elephants shadow.

"Doctor!" She cried out. "Doctor?! I'm here!"

No response.

"Oh I say, there is someone in the fog over there."

Five figures were emerging from the fog. Four of them looked like they were in some kind of sharply, angular, white battle armour, or maybe they were robots. They appeared to have some sort of round, gun poking out of their chest.

"Doctor?" She questioned of the fifth person.

"That's right, my dear Raven." Said a feminine voice as the bulky form of the Impostor came into view.

 _Oh no, not her again._ She sighed. _Why couldn't she just piss off?_

"This is your Doctor friend?" The Wizard of Oz asked, "I thought you said he was a man."

"The Doctor can be anything!" The Impostor shrieked at him. "I'm not surprised by this attitude coming from a character invented in the backwaters of history!"

"You know, I get the feeling she's upset." Raven said.

"Enough. I want the TARDIS, and I want the Doc... my obsolete persona." she corrected.

"Over my dead body." Raven said coolly.

"I'd love to. Unfortunately your brain needs to be alive for me to extract the TARDIS. But your body can be mangled for all I care." The Impostor spat.

"You sound more like the Doctor every day." Raven said with obvious sarcasm, rolling her eyes to get the point across.

"You really think so? I'm glad I'm taking to the role." the Impostor looked pleased.

"You don't do sarcasm, do you?" Raven stated.

"Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit." The Impostor fought back smugly.

"Easy to say for someone with no wit at all." the Demon girl shot back without missing a beat.

The Impostor swallowed. She had nothing to come back with to that.

"Robots, take them!" The purple alien cried to her escorts.

A bulb like gun extended out from their chests and fired.

Instantly Raven knelt down and cast a black shield in front of her, blocking the attack.

"You're forgetting who you're messing with!" Raven said, her hood now up and her eyes glowing. But her confidence began to fade when out of the fog more robots appeared. The Impostor meant business this time and there was no way she was going to be able to defend against so many attackers.

Raven threw up a full force field and dragged the Wizard of Oz to the ground as she was fired on from all sides. She curled her legs up to make herself as small as possible, the Wizard did the same so the shield could be both small and much stronger.

She should've remembered from her encounter with the Cybermen that this strategy was a fatal move, because unless she had someone to help her out she was trapped trying to maintain a shield with no chance of escape. Unless the robots came closer so she could blast them away, but the robots were keeping their distance.

Suddenly there was a 'Snap-hiss' and the sound of a buzz as someone leapt over them and began slicing into the robots as easily as paper.

It was Barriss Offee and her laser sword, chopping up the robots! The robots were so slow they couldn't react in time to her and her abilities as she sped around, sliced a couple and blasted a couple off their feet before driving the blade down into the robots body or slicing off its head.

"Raven!" came the Doctors voice and he ran to her and knelt down.

Raven dropped her shield almost exhausted trying to keep it up. She began to fall forwards but the Doctor caught her by her shoulders and propped her back up on her knees. "Are you alright?"

"I hate this place." She said in a tired voice. "Can we please go home now?"

"Just rest for now." the Doctor said. But one glance at Barriss and her laser sword made Raven feel shame at her lack of energy.

"No, there's nothing wrong with me." She said taking a deep breath and struggled to her feet. "I'm fine. I just need a minute." Her eye went to the Impostor who, after realising she was defeated, decided to turn tail and run.

Raven held up her hand, activated her powers and locked the Impostors legs together so she fell over. Then Raven hauled her back over to them and held her up by a black sphere around her ankles so she dangled upside down.

"Look what I've caught." Raven said flatly, but with a hint of pride. She looked at the Doctor. He was pleased.

Barriss joined them after shutting her laser sword down.

"So, this is the mysterious Impostor who wants to take over from me." The Doctor said. "I have to say, as a fan of mine I'm less than impressed."

"Impostor? I'm no Impostor, I am the Doctor."

"So I've been told." The Doctor turned to Raven. "Let her down, gently."

Raven just let the sphere vanish and the Impostor fell directly to the floor.

"Whoops..." Raven said deadpan to make it clear she did it deliberately. "I'm just so tired." She added looking the Impostor in the eye.

"Your companion is a vicious, little monster!" The Impostor spat.

The Doctor turned to Raven as if looking for her reaction.

"What?" she asked, "I am." she was serious.

* * *

The Doctor stood over one of the white robots and using a pair of jewellers screwdrivers he was carefully taking them apart.

Raven watched as he did this. She looked to Barriss who, along with the Wizard of Oz, were both keeping an eye on the Impostor.

Turning her attention back to the Doctor the goth girl decided to ask the good questions before Barriss did.

"Umm..." She murmered at first, "What are you doing?"

The Doctor looked up, a jewellers magnifying scope held to his right eye by his brow.

"I'm taking these robots apart." He answered simply.

"I meant, specifically."

The Doctor carefully removed a plate and placed it on the ground.

"These robots aren't fictional. They're real, and they're a part of this world." He said. "Like the Master Brain."

"How does that make sense?" she asked.

"I don't know. They've just always been here, and with Time Travel not officially working in this dimension I can't use the TARDIS to nip back and find out where they came from."

"I must be dreaming. You mean there's something you don't know?" Raven smirked a little and waited for his reaction.

"If I knew everything, life would be pretty boring." The Doctor commented as he removed the whole chest plate of the robot.

"So why are you taking it a part?" she asked, "are you looking for something?"

"These robots seem to have the ability to teleport in and out. I've watched them do it. If I can find what device in here preforms that function then maybe we could use it to get out of here." He said.

"You think you could work something like that?" She asked.

"It should be simple, once I find the device all I'd have to do is figure out a way to trip it." The Doctor said as he suddenly pulled out a lot of pipe, wires and circuit boards like he was ripping someones guts out. He dumped them beside him as if he already knew what they were for and knew they were useless.

"Oh..." was all she could say and she was drawing a blank on what to ask next. So she just watched and waited for him to do something.

"You have no right to hold me here!" The Impostor moaned. "I am one of the good guys, you know that makes you the bad guys!"

The Wizard of Oz looked unsure and turned to Barriss. "I say, is this true? Are we the rotters here?"

"She's delusional." Raven said sharply.

"She sounds like she has good intentions," Barriss added, "But is singularly minded about how to fulfil it."

"Exactly," The Doctor said as he extracted more of the robot. "Most of the time people aren't evil. They do what they think is right and just don't consider the cost to other people."

"She's a psychopath." Raven stated.

"That's a rather harsh statement." The Doctor said.

Raven looked deep into the Impostors eyes. "She doesn't care about helping people. She cares only about her self image."

"Don't tell me what I think, you evil Dalek!" the Impostor spat. Raven looked deep into her eyes.

"Tell me I'm wrong!" the demon girl said.

"What did you just call Raven?" The Doctor asked of the Impostor.

"What she is, an evil Dalek!" She spat.

The Doctor froze and looked like he was double checking his mind to see if he'd misheard. "You do know what a Dalek is, right?"

"Are you suggesting I don't know?" The Impostor asked as if offended. "Of course I do, I'm not uneducated."

Raven had to ask, "What is a Dalek?" _Oh god, I really am becoming his companion now. Someone shoot me, quick._

"A domed shaped cyborg creature from the planet Skaro, with rather xenophobic tendencies." The Doctor said, turning back to his work. "You wouldn't want to bring one around to dinner. Their table manners are rather horrid, what with murdering the other guests, the cook, the butler, and everyone in the house." He put down his screwdrivers for a second. "But why did you call Raven one?"

"Because she said she didn't care about my cause to spread goodness and tolerance throughout the universe." The Impostor said, "She stands in the way of that mission. Therefore, she is for badness and intolerance, therefore she is a Dalek."

The Doctors eyes adopted a tired look. "As logical as that sounds..." he began, "I think Raven is... many things." He said looking directly at her. "But she's not a Dalek."

"Of course she is, what else could she be?"

"A human to start with. Though a very cold one. She could freeze a pyrodite with that stare."

"You shouldn't joke about such matters." The Impostor said sharply.

"Why not? It's one of my character traits." The Doctor said.

"What I want to fight are serious injustices, and you just sit and joke about them as if they were nothing. People will take you more seriously if you act more seriously."

"I think the Impostor is trying to tell you how to be the Doctor 'properly.'" Raven said flatly, but with a smirk.

"Oh really?" The Doctor laughed "After over nine hundred and fifty years I guess I need someone to put myself right."

"Just another reason why I shall become the greatest Doctor ever and..." she stopped talking. The Impostor rolled her tongue around in her mouth before sticking it out and she tried to get it to move. But it looked like it had no life in it at all.

"Whoops." Raven gave a small, dark laugh. She then caught the Doctor looking at her. "What? I've just paralysed her tongue, not killed it. I just thought we could enjoy some peace."

"What was wrong with a gag in her mouth?" The Doctor asked.

"This way she knows I mean business."

* * *

The Doctor soon extracted what he wanted from the robots and put them in his trans-dimensional pockets.

Now they followed the slope of the ground downwards, back towards the sea. The Doctor claimed he could navigate using a combination of patterns on the ground and the perfect, rhythmic beating of his hearts. Raven wasn't so convinced because she saw him sneak a compass out of his pocket and gave it a look.

"I have to say, when I left Oz, I never expected to land in such a peculiar place." The Wizard said.

"I know the feeling." The Doctor chuckled. "Are you serious when you said you didn't know how your balloon works?"

"Ye... yes." The Wizard said.

"Then why were you flying it to start with?" The Doctor asked, "Why did you think you could get Dorothy home if you couldn't fly it?"

The Impostor chuckled but still couldn't speak, thank god.

The Impostor marched between Barriss and Raven. Barriss had her laser sword in her hand, though not ignited; while Raven was intensely focused in case the Impostor tried anything.

Raven so wanted to break her legs and just drag her along with her powers. There would be less chance of her getting away. But she knew the Doctor wouldn't approve of such a method.

Not a word passed between either Barriss nor Raven. Raven had her hood up so far across her face she couldn't see the green girl. So she could instead focus on their prisoner, and so she didn't have to look at Barriss.

She didn't know why, but she wanted to avoid looking at her. Why though? Okay she admitted it, she was concerned... just a little concerned that Barriss might be better than her, as both a person, and a friend to the Doctor. She doubted the Doctor would just forget about her, but... her mind went blank.

 _You don't want to fight for his attention._ Said a voice in her head.

 _Yeah, that's it. No wait! It isn't I mean... crap!_ She could deny it all she wants but that voice was right. She'd only known what it was like to be an only child. Now she had someone who she considered a father figure, and now Barriss was like an unexpected sibling who popped out of nowhere, and suddenly the parents attention was divided between them.

 _You like to have the Doctors attention at your beck and call._ Said a voice in her head. _Now when you need him, he might be too busy with Barriss._

 _Barriss is not coming with us. It's impossible for her to leave this fictional land._

 _Is it?_

All thought relating to this ceased.

Finally out of the fog they could see the ship, with that Ed shaped hole in the hull now patched up, and still wedged between the two large stones. The large stones made of keratin.

The pirates and the lost boys were now chipping away at the edges of the stones and trying to fill the gap with something from heavy barrels. It looked like some kind of lubricant or oil. Whale oil, maybe?

The Doctor stopped and looked thoughtful. The rest of the party nearly crashing into him.

"What's wrong, Doctor?" both Barriss and Raven said at the same time. They looked at each other. Barriss looked uncomfortable. Good, it meant she was winning.

"The way the ground moulds around the hull of the ship." The Doctor had his hand up under his chin. "I first thought it was just how the ground formed as the ship impacted. But if you look at the ridges in it you can tell, it already grew in that shape."

"In the shape of the ship?" Raven asked. "A trap?"

"Or maybe its a coincidence?" Barriss suggested.

 _Ha,_ Raven thought, _its never coincidence if its got the Doctor thinking._

"Ever heard of Herpetology?" The Doctor asked. Raven hadn't.

"The study of amphibians?" Barriss suggested. Under her cloak Raven gently ground her fingers and thumb together in annoyance.

"Yes. Doesn't that shape." He nodded at where the ship was wedged. "Look like the neck of a turtle shell?"

"You know, sir; I think it does." Said the Wizard.

"I don't know what one is." Barriss admitted. Ravens mouth smiled upwards a little.

The Doctors face slowly began to morph into a face of worry.

"Oh no." He said.

"What?" both Barriss and Raven said at the same time.

"A giant turtle. A slumbering leviathan." His voice dropped. "And we've parked directly in front of its head."

As if that was a cue for disaster, the suddenly ground shook and Raven, the Doctor and Barriss braced each other while the Impostor and the Wizard of Oz fell over.

The crew who were around the base of the ship ran for cover as the boat was pushed out of where it was wedged as an enormous turtle head slowly rose up out of the water. Being so large it was a hideous looking thing and ultimately dangerous.

The ship bobbed back out into the sea, but the wake this giant creature was throwing up as it moved was causing the ship to be buffeted left and right.

Their group felt the ground shift as the head moved to see the boat in its sights. The giant head snapped at the boat and seemed determined to either chew on it, or smash it to pieces.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

.


	47. Chapter 46 You're not getting a car

**Chapter 46**

 **You're not getting a car.**

The ground rocked again as the giant turtle snapped forwards and wrenched the forward mast from the ship as easily as snapping a match.

Raven instantly wanted to act, but hesitated, instead waiting for instructions from the Doctor; like a good little companion.

"Barriss." Why was he addressing her? "Do your powers work on other creatures in this world?"

"Yes, they should." She confirmed.

"Good, I want you to pacify the creature."

"As you wish." and instantly she sped off, running up the neck of the turtle.

Tired and now really annoyed Raven sharply pushed to the front of the Doctors view and hovered in front of him.

"Why are you asking her? Don't you think I can do it?" She asked sharply and grumpily, her eyes as focused as laser beams. The Doctor looked at her as if remembering she existed. "I'll show you!" and she turned around and sped off after Barriss.

"No, Raven, NO Wait!" But she had already sped off up the neck of the turtle after the space monk.

Barriss was using her powers to put extra speed behind her limbs, and when she jumped she jumped over five times her own height. But Raven could just glide up there easily. It had now become a race up to the top of the beasts head.

Raven knew what spell to cast to pacify this creature, she just had to beat Barriss to its head.

The green alien girl gave the pale demon girl a look which said 'What are you doing?' Raven gave her a look she hoped said, 'Being better than you!'

Barriss leapt up, around the back of the turtles head and landed as poised as a ballerina on its crown, and Raven landed not long after.

Barriss placed both of her hands at the top of the creatures head and with a sharp intake of breath she began to use her powers. The turtle instantly started to calm down, but Raven wasn't going to let Barriss get all the glory.

Raven hovered near the head and focused on the creatures brain. Her eyes glowed, she muttered her chimes and sent cool, calming waves into the creatures head. Raven will prove her powers were better than any of this 'Force mumbo-jumbo' Barriss believed in.

Instantly however, the turtle was no longer pacified, it was aggravated. Its shook its head. A massive flipper emerged from the sea and came down near the ship forcing it to drift back towards its head. At first the turtle didn't notice and just shook its head trying to throw off what fluence was on it. But upon seeing the boat again it snapped forwards and ripped off the main mast.

Screams now echoed from the ship.

"What are you doing?" Barriss shouted, "You're aggravating it."

"Stop what you're doing and go back. I've got this." Raven insisted giving her a cold look from under her hood.

"We can't pacify it together, we're making it angry." The screams of the crew were clear on the air. "Why are you doing this? What have I done to you? Why have you become hostile? Weren't we friends?"

Raven didn't answer, at first. "You're not stealing from me." She said, being mysterious because she just couldn't bring herself to admit it.

"Steal what? You have nothing I want!" She shouted over the waves and the roar of the creature.

"You're not..." Raven began, but she stalled before trying again, "You're not coming with us."

"I don't know what you mean!" Barriss sounded desperate. "Whatever grudge you hold. Please, can't it wait?!" She pleaded, the screams of the crew still all around them. "Listen, do you hear them? You're putting them all in danger over this feud!"

"They're fictional, they're not even alive."

"They're alive to me!" Barriss shouted. "Please, they're my friends. They helped me grow beyond my cannon into who I am. I know you don't see them as people..."

"I DO see them as people... ish." Raven corrected.

"Then please, stop!" She pleaded. "You're killing them. Help me save them. Don't condemn 'them' over this!"

Raven caught sight of the boat, now totally mast-less and obviously taking on water. It wouldn't last long. The desperate cries of the crew were going unheard by Raven, who could help them, but was choosing not to because she didn't consider them alive enough to care about.

Then Raven looked down at the Doctor, but he wasn't looking at her, nor Barriss. His attention was on the ship, worry over his face. He turned and looked up at them. The look on his face... it was haunting, and it made Raven feel something, but she didn't know how to describe it.

The rage which drove Raven ebbed away and her eyes became normal again, the gravity of her selfish act begun to ring. The turtle was now being pacified by Barriss's powers, and only her powers.

Raven took a deep breath. Without looking at Barriss the demon girl turned and raced towards the stricken ship as it began listing to its starboard side. At any moment it could capsize.

Hovering over the vessel Raven held out her hands palms up and imagined herself feeling and cupping the entire keel of the ship in her two hands. Darkness spread around the ship, shrouding it.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" She raised her hands up to face level as if lifting her imaginary object, and the entire ship lifted up clean out of the water and hovered in the air. Water now pouring out of the holes it had been entering through.

Moving her hands she forced the ship to correct its list so the deck was level, and as she floated backwards towards the turtles shell she dragged the boat with her. It was taking every ounce of concentration left within her to pull this off and already she could feel her brain struggling to remain focused.

Her dark powers flickered a little, but she redoubled her efforts and kept it there. Only when the ship was safely dragged ashore did Raven release her powers. The ship landed on the shell more sharply than she intended. But the crew still cheered, thankful for her intervention.

It would've made her swell with pride, but unfortunately the effort to move this ship just made her brain flake out. Not only did her powers cease holding the ship up, they also ceased holding her up; and she was at least fifty feet up in the air when she lost her powers.

She didn't care, she just wanted to sleep; and she fell towards the ground.

Something caught her before she slammed into the hard shell and she felt herself being forced onto her unsteady feet.

She saw Barriss waving her hands around, using her own powers to catch Raven. The turtle she could see was totally pacified now and looked like it was gently swimming through the ocean.

Raven nearly fell forwards but the Doctor grabbed her and steadied her.

"Raven what were you...?" He was going to ask something, he was clearly upset at how she ran off; but then a look of worry crossed his face. "Raven, what's wrong?" Her tired head lolled onto his shoulder.

"I want to go home. D... D... D..." her encroaching subconscious was trying to say a word, a powerful word to her that her conscious mind refused to use. What was the word? It was three letters. "D... Doc." She settled on. Her body collapsed but the Doctor caught her. She closed her eyes and blackness began to cloud her mind.

"Not yet, just rest for now." Her Dad said, scooping the tired Raven up in his arms.

* * *

 _'"Not yet, just rest for now." Her Dad said, scooping the tired Raven up in his arms.'_

Rachel pressed save and rubbed her eyes, then stretched out her arms and legs. She'd been at this for a while and had gotten quite a lot established in that time. The Doctor now had a way to escape the censored zone, but it wasn't going to be by the method she had established. She was going to be a little devious and she thought clever about it. But she felt she had done enough writing for now. Her detention must be over soon, surely.

Rachel then placed her face in her hand as she had an idea about what to write next. But she was unsure about it. For some reason it felt 'right' but at the same time it felt a little out of character for what Raven was supposed to be like. She thought about it for a couple of seconds before deciding she'd leave it out for now and put that moment somewhere else later in the story. Perhaps during another adventure. Yet, strangely some part of her was telling her. _'No, that's how it happened.'_ She must be tired.

She looked at Doctor C. Baker, who had been knitting little socks and shirts for something much smaller than a human, even smaller than a human baby. Glancing at his book she saw a picture of a cute kitten in a pink sweater. She didn't know Doctor C. Baker liked cats. She didn't even know he could knit so well.

"Are you finished?" The large man asked.

"As much as I feel I could do." Rachel replied twisting her neck to loosen the muscles.

"Jolly good." He checked his watch. "Your father should be outside by now. In fact..." He held his hand up for silence, and in the air Rachel could hear the loud clatter of that old cars air cooled engine.

"I guess we can finish detention early, so I can go home and try these on my little pretties." He held up the sweaters. He then scratched behind his ear to suggest Rachel to be discrete. "Lets not mention this to Mister Vale the Undertaker, or the Head Mistress. Or we'll both be in trouble."

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Rachel asked quizzically as she started packing her things away.

"I'm not. I want to get home and feed my cats. Come on, pack away and off with you." He tried to hurry her.

Rachel was out of the class and back into the school grounds shortly. The sun was still quite high and as she approached her Dads beetle car she climbed inside and settled into the passenger seat.

Neither of them spoke at first. Rachel was too nervous about what her Dad now thought of her after hearing about her detention.

"So, mind explaining why you're late?" he asked in a scolding voice as they pulled out of the car park.

"Because I had detention. Didn't Doctor Hartnel tell you?" She snapped at him.

"Actually, it was Mister Vale who told me. Do you want to tell me your side of the story?" He asked as the car turned onto the main road.

God this old car was noisy!

"A new kid, Dolores tried to steal my laptop; and in the struggle I broke her nose." Rachel said quickly.

"Did you tell Mister Vale that?" Her Dad said.

"He thought I was lying." Rachel sighed, "Doctor Hartnel believed me though."

"I believe you." Rachel's heart leapt for joy at this. "Doctor Hartnel telephoned me after Mister Vale to explain you were defending your property, and that Dolores pulled your hair."

Rachel felt where that missing strand would usually sit. What a bitch!

"Are you going to punish me too?" Rachel asked a little apprehensively.

"I think detention with Mister Vale is punishment enough." He laughed, "You do know it's not good to hit people?"

"Oh no, I never learnt that lesson before." She rolled her eyes. "Dolores is irritating, but I'd never strike her and give her an excuse." Rachel said, not looking at her Dad, but out the window. "I only hit her because she grabbed my hair first."

"Then why should I punish you? You've already had your punishment and your actions were in self defence." He laughed. "Anyway, I think I saw her storm out of the school. She's a pretty big target and difficult to miss." He joked.

Rachel couldn't really appreciate that attempt at humour, because she was still angry with Mister Vale for being a total arse hole. She was almost seething; and Dolores! God she hated her.

"Don't let Mister Vale spoil the rest of your day." The Doctor... She meant, her Dad said. "Leave the past in the past."

Rachel explained what happened with Dolores and what kind of person she appears to be. Her Dad listened to everything as she poured out her frustration to him. She then asked what he would do about it if he was in her shoes.

"Hmm..." he mused, "You'll find in life there will be those who'll paint you as the bad guy so they can appear to be the good guy."

"Why?" she asked.

"Because some care a lot about their social image." He replied. "Because its all they've got and is the only thing they're proud of. If it means dragging you down so they can climb on top, they will."

"But Doc... Umm... I mean Dad, how do you deal with such people?" Rachel asked.

"I don't think I have an answer you'll like." He said. "The only thing you can realistically do is ignore it. But..." he said before she could interrupt. "They say actions speak louder than words, so no matter what she says about you. Continue being yourself and don't fall for her bait. The people around you will eventually click that what Dolores is saying about you, and how you act aren't the same thing."

Rachel just moaned and sank into her chair. How could she make her Dad understand the frustration this caused her? She wanted a better solution to it; a final one to stop it.

"I understand perfectly well where you're coming from. I was once a spotty teenager too at some point." Her Dad said, "I went through similar playground politics as you are. Such people are always difficult to deal with, especially if they can get the ear of the Teachers. But by the sound of it, the teachers are wise enough to see through her deception."

Rachel again didn't speak, she just tried to mull this over. A scary idea entered her head. What if all the teachers weren't wise to Dolores? What if they all acted like Mister Vale and believed her without question. God, that would be utter hell.

"You don't have to be friends with her. In fact I'd recommend against it. She sounds like someone who is so used to fighting an enemy and getting a pat on the head for it that she'll seek out and invent an enemy out of anyone; because they want that pat on the head."

Rachel could see how this would fit Dolores. When the bitch had introduced herself to the class she had listed off a load of agreeable qualities she believes in rather than introduce 'who' she was. So she was saying it in hopes of getting a pat on the head from her peers and the students, and she probably got angry she wasn't getting the reaction she wanted. So she instantly started seeking an enemy to fight against, to establish herself as a good person, and that enemy was now Rachel.

 _Oh god, it's the School of Azarath all over again!_ This is what Rachel feared more than anything now. That the School of Arcadia would become like the School of Azarath, and she'd be the bad guy, again.

"Don't let her change you." Her Dad said, "Whether its to be on her side or to be her enemy. Do not let her define you."

That sounded like good advice, but Rachel didn't understand how she could implement it. At least her Dad sounded like he understood what was happening and what she was feeling, so at least she felt like she was understood.

* * *

Dinner that night was a little awkward.

Rachel's mother wanted to ask questions like "Where have you been?" Rachel wanted to lie and tell her she'd been with friends. But her Dad had already talked her into telling the truth.

"That's scandalous!" Her mother said. "Who does Mister Vale think he is?"

"Calm down, dear." Said Dad. "It's all sorted now."

There was a brief pause before her mother asked. "I hope you learnt your lesson about hitting people."

"Yes mother." Rachel said in a bored tone. She didn't feel like explaining why she felt her actions justifiable.

"Was it a good shot, though?" Her Dad asked with a smirk, knowing full well what mother was going to say. He wasn't condoning the action, Rachel knew that, he was just trying to be humorous.

"Don't encourage her!" Mother shrieked. A pause.

"Was it though?" He laughed.

"PAUL!" That was her Dads name; and he giggled like a mischievous boy who hadn't grown up as mother playfully threw that days paper at his head, and he ducked out of the way.

After the meal Rachel helped mother dry and wash the pots and plates. Rachel didn't know why, but this made her feel happy, as if she didn't spend any time with her mother at all. But she knew she did. So why did she feel this way?

When the pots were cleaned and Rachel was allowed to leave the kitchen, she quickly wrapped her arms around her mother in a loving hug.

"Oh, what's this in aid of?" mother asked.

"Nothing special."

"What do you want?" mother questioned. "For the last time, you can't have a car for your birthday."

"No, it's not that." Rachel smiled. "I just wanted to let you know that I... I... I... lo... I... love you... mother. I love you, mom."

Her mother gently wrapped her arms around her, lowered her head so her mouth was level with her ear and said very firmly.

"You're still not getting a car." Rachel laughed.

She then retired back to her bedroom. Dropped her bag off. Went into the shower. Came out and just got dressed in a T-shirt and she sat down at her laptop and began writing out the notes she'd made for her stories previous chapters. The ones she dreamt about but never wrote out, the ones she skipped over. It didn't take her long. Just a few hours to catch up, and quickly she posted another update to her story. Just the parts leading up to the Doctor and Raven entering the Censored Zone. That was a good place to stop for now. What she had written after that event she'll post up later.

Rachel heard a buzzing from her jacket pockets, which was discarded on the bed. She reached into the pocket and extracted her mobile phone. N _o. 'cell phone.' It's called a cell phone in this country_ , she remembered.

She opened it up, putting in her pass code and she saw she had several notifications from Stella, Garfield and one from Richard. Stella was just worrying about how Rachel was feeling after detention. Richard wanted to know if Mister Vale tried anything underhanded or cruel, she told them not to worry and that Doctor C. Baker actually took over the detention last minute.

Then she came to Garfield's message. It was just a picture, a 'meme', a 'funny'. It did raise a smile from her face but she wasn't going to give him that satisfaction.

When she'd first met Garfield he seemed a shy and naive little boy. He'd made one sarcastic joke which made Rachel laugh. Since then he'd tried making her laugh with countless, childish jokes, hoping to get the same reaction from her. But rather than making her laugh, it was making her irritated. The only jokes she laughed at were ones he clearly hadn't come up with himself, but had forwarded onto her.

She never replied to such messages, but that didn't stop Garfield sending them. Weirdly he never sent these kind of jokes to Stella, Richard or Victor. He did send jokes to Richard and Victor, but they were more vulgar than she liked so she was glad he didn't send them to her.

 _They're still funny_ _though._ She silently admitted to herself. But she wondered why she got the 'Dad jokes.' The only person she wanted to hear Dad jokes from was her own Dad.

Rachel then noticed she had a friend request on social media and moved to see who it was. The name that showed up was not one she expected to see.

It was Dolores! She wanted to 'friend' her? Why did she want to be friends with her after everything she'd done?

Quickly Rachel clicked 'deny' on the friend request. She didn't want to grant Dolores access to her profile.

* * *

 _-Dolores just tried to 'friend request' me. -_-_

Rachel text to Stella.

 _-She requested a friendship from me also! :D_

That smiley face emoticon made Rachel groan from the inside.

 _-You didn't accept, did you? -_-_

 _-Of course, she wants to be my friend, after the offence I gave her._

 _-Stella, seriously. Don't get involved with her. She's more trouble than she's worth;_ _and I think she only wants to be your friend to dig dirt up on us._

 _-But she's behaving so sweetly online. :)_

 _-That's only because you can't see how insincere she is._ _Don't tag me in any of your activities. Nothing personal. I just want nothing to do with Dolores._

 _-I shall respect your wishes, friend Rachel._

 _-Don't tell her anything about any of us, either!_

There was a fresh notification. Another friend request from Dolores. Instantly she pressed cancel. It came again! She pressed cancel.

Quickly Rachel checked her privacy settings so Dolores couldn't see her profile, and then instantly put a block on her so she couldn't send this request anymore.

 _-I shall see you tomorrow at school._

 _-Yeah, see you tomorrow, Stel._

 _-Nighty Night Rachel_

 _-Night Stel._

* * *

There was a knock on her door now. "Are you decent, Raven?" Her Dad asked using her preferred pen name, and he opened the door before she answered.

Rachel grabbed the pillow from her bed and instantly threw it at him before his head appeared through the door. He retreated back out.

"No, I'm not!" She said and quickly pulled on some discarded trousers from the floor to cover herself. "Okay Dad. Come in."

He came in and he had a knife with a yellow block on the end.

"I know how you like to try new things." He said, "So try a taste of this. Its absolutely delicious."

"What is it?" Rachel asked, plucking it from the edge of the knife and popping it in her mouth. It tasted cheesy but spicy.

"It's peppered cheese." He said.

"It's a little spicy." She swallowed it.

"They say eating cheese at night promotes good dreams." Her Dad said.

"I thought they caused 'nightmares'." she corrected.

"Well." He laughed. "You can tell me which is correct tomorrow."

"If I dream about killer robots, demons and vampires again. I swear, I'll kill you in the morning." She said pointedly but with a jokey edge.

"Fair deal." He joked, and Rachel smiled.

"Dad, come here." She said gesturing for her Dad to come closer.

"Yes, daughter?" and she flung her arms around his neck and hugged him. She didn't know why, but she felt like she needed to hug him. "What's this in aid of?"

"Nothing." She said. "I just... I... I... I love you, my Daddy."

"I agree with mum, we're not getting you a car for your birthday."

"Forget a car." Rachel said happily "I'm just happy I have you and mom in my life."

"That's very sweet of you." Dad said sceptically. "What is it you're really after?"

"I just wanted to tell you that I love you. Because I don't think I say it often enough to you."

"You tell me all the time. You told me this morning." Her Dad corrected.

"One more time isn't going to hurt." She hugged him tighter. Then cheekily said with a smirk, "But a car would be a good birthday present."

"Yeah, nice try. You devious, little manipulator." Laughing her Dad made her break the bonding hug and he gently pushed her backwards so she landed back on her bed. It was worth a try. But Rachel got the feeling she was going to get a car for her birthday, but knowing her Dad he'd probably get her a toy car to make fun of her. _"Look at the detail. The doors and bonnet open and everything, it's perfect."_ He'll probably say while she'd scowl at him. She laughed at that prediction.

"Night, night. Rae Rae." He'd said, using her other name, and he turned to leave her room.

"Night, Dad." She'd said in reply.

"Beware the demon Trigon." and he made a comically, spooky noise to mock the idea while waving his fingers. Rachel smiled. Mocking the bogey-man like that always made her happy.

After shutting down her laptop and climbing into bed Rachel was in a very happy mood, and as she slipped under the covers her mind went back to the next part of her story. The part she had felt was out of character for Raven. But now it didn't sound as crazy to write; and as she drifted to sleep she began to imagine what played out in that new part. Maybe to get around it Rachel could write it like it was a dream of Ravens, or that Raven wasn't fully awake.

As sleep took over her it was as if the story came to life again in her head. And it just felt... right.

* * *

As Ravens conscious mind faded in and out she was aware she wasn't on board the TARDIS. Through her barely open eyelids she could tell she was in one of the beds back on the pirate ship. She just felt so tired.

Beside her she saw the figure who had disturbed her. The Doctor. He was't aware she was half awake and aware of him herself.

He placed a cup of tea beside her on a table and looked a little concerned. She groaned softly, but only because she had been disturbed.

He looked at her with concern and he placed a hand to her forehead to check her temperature. Just like a concerned parent would of their child.

"I'm proud of you, Rae Rae." He said, probably thinking she couldn't hear him.

Satisfied the Doctor removed his hand and pulled his arm away. But as it passed her face Raven reached out and grabbed his wrist and she made it settle next to her face. She moved her head to gently rest the side of her face in his palm. His hand was quite cold, but not enough to snap her from her semi-conscious daze.

"Doctor," her voice said softly and sleepily, "please..."

"Rae Rae?"

"Please..." she half snored, "Please... please... please don't leave me."

Gently the Doctor stroked her hair. She could feel his emotions were mixed, but what rang clear was the parental like protection he was affording to her. Upon detecting this Raven grabbed his arm to stop him pulling it away.

"Rae Rae," he said gently, "You're going to have to let me go." She refused to and indicated it by gently shaking her head. "I won't go far. I promise I'll come back."

 _"I promise, I'll come back."_ It echoed in her head. _"I promise, I'll come back."_

Satisfied with this Raven's soft grip released and the Doctor gently allowed her to settle back onto the beds pillows. _"I promise, I'll come back."_

Her consciousness faded again, and she curled up under the cover to get comfortable.

"Nighty Night, Rae Rae." He said softly as he moved away.

She found herself tiredly muttering three quiet words to the Doctor, probably too low for him to hear. "Night Night, Dad."

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** If Raven was fully awake at that point I'd imagine she'd be blushing so much with embarrassment you could see it from space. lol

I couldn't come up with a better title for the chapter, but I thought 'You're not getting a car.' Just works, considering its a running misunderstanding of Rachels parents.


	48. Chapter 47, Oranges and Lemons

**Chapter 47**

 **Oranges and Lemons...**

 _"I'll come back, I promise..."_

Raven swallowed.

Starfire and Beastboy both looked at her, waiting for her to continue her tale. But she had stalled. Remembering the Doctor making that promise just made her feel sad.

"Friend Raven." Starfire spoke up. "Are you okay?"

"Yes..." she said, "yes... I'm just thinking."

"Come on, Rae Rae. What happened next?!" Beastboy hurried. God, he could be so insensitive at times! But what annoyed her more was what he'd just called her. "OW, OW, OW, OW!" He screeched as Raven used her powers to pull Beastboys underwear into a wedgie.

"You..." she started pointedly "...do NOT... get to call me that."

"But the Doc..." she pulled it tighter "...okay, okay. Come on, Raven!" She held it for a little longer to show she was serious about it.

 _"Man, she can be such a bitch!"_ She felt his mind scream.

 _Learn to respect boundaries._ She thought rather than spoke. Funnily enough this was something his counterpart in the story never understood either, and it would lead to a whole world of trouble. Maybe seeing his behaviour and the potential consequences described to him in an indirect manner might shake his head up a little.

"Okay..." She said, switching gears back to her story because she didn't want to watch Beastboy try to sort out his underwear. "...where was I?"

"You were asleep on the ship of pirates, and..."

"Thank you... Star!" Raven swallowed. She'd left out that part where she'd sleepily called the Doctor her 'Dad' and now she was remembering it again. She could feel her face start to blush so she quickly jumped back into the swing of the story before it showed.

* * *

Raven felt consciousness flood her mind again, but she was so warm and comfortable she really didn't want to get out of bed. She felt much more relaxed, and focused than she had before she went to sleep.

It felt like something stroked her mind. She shifted her neck to stretch a muscle. She enjoyed this. This is the same kind of soothing feeling she got when she meditated. It was like dipping dry, warm skin into cool water. That's what it felt like, but for her brain.

That's when she detected another mind hovering close to hers. Fearing she was in danger Raven was up and on her feet in an instant, avoiding hands that were hovering over her head.

Sitting next to her bed was Barriss Offee. "Good morning." She said giving her a mysterious smile.

"What were you doing?" Raven instantly bit at her.

"I was helping you rest." She said, "I was soothing your mind to help bring you back into balance."

"Back into balance?" Raven asked, lowering her hands.

"You haven't meditated for days properly. I could tell your mind was out of balance." The more Barriss talked, the more Raven didn't like what she was hearing.

"So you decided to play doctor with my mind?" Raven said in an accusing tone.

"I wanted to help you." Barriss said.

"I don't need your help." Raven said back, "I can do it myself."

"I didn't mean to upset you."

"I'm not. Just stay out of my mind!" Raven bit across her.

"I'm sorry." Barriss said sadly.

"What for?" Raven spat.

"Whatever I did."

Raven pulled her hood up sharply over her face then turned on her heel and she left the Captains quarters, using her powers to wrench open and close the doors after her.

Raven did notice there was an improvement in her mental faculties. Her brain was sharper, her emotions were more in check, and with a quick test of her powers she conjured a ball of darkness between her hands.

Yes, she was back to normal. Now all she needed was to figure out how to meditate more effectively, because she hated the idea of been in need of someone. She should be able to do everything herself.

 _Why was I upset at Barriss?_ She asked her own mind.

 _You feared she'd compromise your friendship with the Doctor._ Her brain remembered.

He saw him through a window. His jacket was draped across a barrel on the deck and he was helping the crew pull on a rope leading to something in the air Raven could not see from inside the ship.

Looking at him she felt something... something in her heart. But she dismissed it.

 _Dad's going to hurt himself if he..._ A small voice in her mind started saying.

 _Dad?_ She questioned.

 _Who better?_ and she began to feel her face blush a little.

 _Stop day dreaming! It is nothing more than a fantasy. He will never be your true father._

Raven took a deep breath and accepted that. The Doctor was her friend and just that. She didn't need a father, she didn't need a father figure. Heck, she didn't even need the Doctor. She was totally self sufficient.

 _You liar._ Her mind accused.

 _ENOUGH!_ She told her brain.

Stepping onto the deck she saw the Wizard of Oz, the Ed boy, Apu and several other characters seemingly trying to pull on ropes which were attached to the Wizard of Oz's hot air balloon.

"I am dubious as to whether this mad method shall work, Doctor." Captain Hook said from beside him. He wasn't helping, just strutting around like a proud peacock.

"That's what they said about Nicolous Tesla." The Doctor said.

"Was it now?" Captain Hook replied.

Raven stood next to the Doctor and was so quiet about it he was suddenly startled to see her.

"Ah, Rae Rae." Again with that dumb name. "Are you all better now after your nap? You've been out for three days."

"Three days?" She exclaimed. "Why didn't you wake me?"

"Well, I tried to wake you at tea time, but you insisted on another 48 hours." He joked.

"You were positively Catatonic." said Alice joining them after replacing a bottle back into her pockets. "I've just hauled this Balloon over to the ship." She explained.

"And it's being brought on board because..." Raven trailed off for someone else to add an explanation.

"Because the Doctor has some poppycock idea to use it to turn the Black Pearl into a giant hot air balloon." Captain Hook scoffed.

"Technically, it'll be more a zeppelin when we're done with it." The Doctor smiled.

With the masts out of the way, bitten and ripped away by the giant turtle, the balloon sat in the middle of the deck with no obstacles.

"Right, now we secure it." The Doctor said as more guide ropes fell from the balloon. Some of the lost boys scurried over the side of the balloon trying to secure it to the hull of the ship.

Raven sighed, the Doctor had lost his mind. "Doctor, even I can tell that balloon won't fly the ship."

"Not under normal physical laws." The Doctor said, giving her a look which said 'I've found a loophole in the laws of physics allowing me to do something clever.' "But we're in the land of fiction, and we have in our presence a character for whom cartoon physics is the norm." He nodded at Ed.

"You're nuts." Raven said flatly.

"I can see you're back to your cheery self." The Doctor mocked.

"And you're still an irritating know-it-all." Raven fired back coolly. "I thought you were going to use that device you pulled from those White robots to teleport out of here?"

"Unfortunately, there is a flaw with that plan." The Doctor said nonchalantly.

"Which is?"

"They're broken." He shrugged, "I can probably get them to work but we'll need to find some spare parts. And because they're real, cartoon physics won't help us, unfortunately."

Looking at the Doctor Raven had a strange feeling in her mind. It was an emotion. Was it pride? She felt proud of her Dad... of the Doctor! She meant the Doctor!

 _You don't need a father. You don't need a father figure_. She reminded herself, but then another voice spoke.

 _You might not need a father. But it doesn't stop you wanting one._

"Perhaps Raven." Alice spoke up interrupting her train of thought. "We should leave the boys to their projects, while we retreat and pursue more intellectual pursuits. Would you care for a game of chess?"

Raven didn't smile with her mouth, but she did a little with her eyes. "You're on."

* * *

"The key to chess is not to make the best move. But whatever move your opponent doesn't want you to make." Alice said as Raven opened with the Danish Gambit.

She was still learning the game but over time as she studied how it all works she was very slowly coming to understand the value of planning several steps ahead of your opponent, and to look for weaknesses in their defences that she could exploit to win the game.

Raven hadn't been that interested in chess to start with. But with no books to read; or at least none which were real. Raven had instead shifted gears and turned her mind to this game.

The books on the ship were all fictional, and when she opened them they pretty much contained nothing but scrawls. Makes sense, she guessed, unless the authors of the stories these books came from fleshed out the fictional books there would be nothing in them. She did find a book on chess. But upon reading it, it only contained stuff she already knew about from playing with Alice. The more she learnt, the more this fictional book filled with new stuff.

She guessed this symbolised how reading is more a reflection of whats in your own mind rather than exactly what the author wanted.

Back to the game Raven wanted to try a gambit and sacrifice as much 'material' as possible in the hopes of developing her more powerful pieces. Unfortunately Alice was much more familiar with this game and knew exactly what Raven intended to do.

Alice gobbled up the material but did so by bringing her more powerful pieces into play, and it now became a duel for who could control the centre.

"There is some tension between you and Barriss." Alice stated.

"It's nothing." Raven said, trying to silence the conversation.

"Nobody blames you for what happened. In fact, you saved all of us." Alice said, trying to be friendly.

"I... I just didn't want to feel useless. That's all." Raven stated.

"Oh, I quite understand. There is nothing worse than feeling like your story is done." Alice moved her knight and threatened Ravens queen. "That there is nothing else to do."

Feeling protective of her queen Raven moved it, and Alice took advantage to move her bishop to check her king.

 _Shit!_ But there was an easy way to block it using her pawn, which was protected by her rook. So it depended on whether Alice was willing to risk her bishop for a useless check. Of course, she didn't. _What's your game, what are you trying to make me do?_

"Barriss means you no harm. She has evolved to what she was like before."

"Before?" Raven questioned, her ears now pricked up.

"Oh... did she not tell you? Perhaps I shouldn't have mentioned it." Alice said brushing her hair with her hand, and then she took a sip of her tea cup.

"Please, tell me?" Raven asked, thirsty for dirt.

"Well," Alice giggled in a cheeky way as if spilling secrets was a thrill to her.

 _Note to self, never tell secrets to her._

"Well," She began again, "From what I heard, she is like Captain Hook. A bad guy. She was a minor good character in her story, but became an infamous player in it." Alice lowered her voice and invited Raven to come closer. "In the story there is a war. She protested against it but her Masters wouldn't listen. So being frustrated, she decided to set a bomb off in her Jedi temple. Killing off dozens of characters."

Raven felt herself go cold to hear that but kept her face level.

"But that was not the worst part. Oh no. She'd planned ahead. As the story went on and the investigation progressed she attempted to frame her best friend for the action." Raven felt her tongue roll in her mouth. "She nearly got away with it. But she was found out at the last minute before her friend was sentenced to execution."

So sweet little Barriss Offee who looked so innocent, nice and gentle was in reality a murderous traitor of a witch!

"Oh, but don't let that colour her." Alice said, "Captain Hook is a crazed maniac after all. We helped each other evolve." She coughed. "Barriss was still a good person deep down, and the lead up to her betrayal was not well established in her cannon. Her fans didn't believe she could become so evil without any build up and hoped she'd return to the light, and of course that potential made it possible for her to do so."

Raven wasn't listening to that last part. She suddenly realised why she had a dislike for Barriss. Okay, she didn't want the space monk stealing 'her stuff', but she had seemed too perfect to be true even for someone developing beyond their cannon. There had to be something about her under that image, and now she had it. Barriss once became evil, she killed and murdered because she disagreed with a war.

What if she did the same again with this war?

 _I'm going to keep a close eye on Barriss from now on._ She decided. _I'm not going to let her harm my Da... My Frie... my... my stuff._

"Check mate." Alice said.

"Huh?" Raven was snapped from her thought process. "Crap!" Alice had set up a bluff and Raven had fallen for it. While her attention was on breaking through the defences around Alices king, Alice had swooped in and with her queen and bishop had successfully check-mated her king. She looked around for anyway to worm out of it. But it wasn't there. She had lost.

Sighing Raven pinched the top of her king and forced it to topple over in defeat.

* * *

For a few hours Raven was aware of loud noises coming from below deck. It sounded like screeching and bellowing and cries of some wild animal.

"What the heck is that?" Raven asked.

"Oh, it's that dreadful woman you found. We locked her away in the brig." Alice said, "She's behaving like an adolescent."

Raven opened the door which led down to the brig and she heard the Impostors voice fly up it. "I'm starving, you can't treat me like this! As a prisoner I deserve better food than this slop you're giving me."

"It's the same stuff we eat, miss." Said the gruff voice of one of the pirates.

"Liar. You're treating me with less respect than an animal."

Raven instantly shut the door. She didn't have the mental energy to listen to her.

As they walked along the deck and saw the balloon being rigged up to the ship Raven and Alice both saw one of the pirates being tormented by some of the lost boys. Watching them made Raven roll her eyes at how immature boys could be. Like right now they were using a long strand of grass to poke into the pirates ear while he was pulling on a rope. He'd rage at them, they'd run away but they'd always come back to do it again.

They then tried doing it to another member of the crew. But he was totally focused and none reactive to the kids and their antics like he was used to them. They danced around, tried to poke and prod him, but he didn't react. Bored they went back to the first pirate knowing they could get a reaction out of him.

This was getting out of hand, so Raven approached them and they made an attempt to antagonise her, but she just ignored it. Words could not hurt her, she'd heard them all before. "Corpse Girl", "Zombie", "blood sucker", "vampire." Bla, bla, bla.

She instantly had their attention when she asked one question.

"Hey, do you want to meet our prisoner?" She failed to hide the smirk on her face.

* * *

The balloon was rigged up, all that was needed was air to fill it. Raven seriously doubted this could work. The balloon was far too small and she doubted they'd have enough hot air to inflate and make it fly.

 _Maybe we should put the Impostor inside it. She'll produce enough._ She mentally laughed at that.

The Doctor, Captain Hook and first mate Apu were now taking tea while the crew enjoyed a flagon of rum.

"Alice, my dear." Said Captain Hook. "We are about ready to launch."

Raven looked up again at the contraption.

"This is not going to work." Raven said.

"O' Ye of little faith." The Doctor replied.

"If this doesn't work..." Raven thought a little for a good wager, "... then you'll have to start wearing something more practical than that Wild Bill Hickhock costume." A smirk. "Something of my choice."

The Doctor smirked himself. "Alright, and if it does you'll..." he paused to think. Raven got a bad feeling he was searching for something she hated. "...you'll have to deal with my record player."

Raven's face dropped a little and mentally she said, _You Utter Bastard!_ But not to appear fazed she quickly nodded and said, "You're on!"

"Oh Ed!" The Doctor called out to the Ed boy.

The simple cartoon boy turned and hobbled towards them.

"Yes, Double Doctor D?" Ed said, not really looking at either of them because his eyes were turned outwards.

"I think it's time to launch."

"Lunch?! JAWBREAKERS?!" Ed got excited.

Suddenly a sword was drawn and the blade pointed at the Doctor from Captain Hook. Raven was instantly ready to jump into action to defend the Doctor.

"I am the Captain here, Doctor. 'I' shall give the order to launch!" Captain Hook insisted. Raven relaxed. She guessed there were some character traits that were hard to break.

"But of course." The Doctor said, motioning for Ed to follow Captain Hooks word.

"Cabin boy Edward!" Captain Hook said authoritatively.

"Yes, Captain Claw!" Ed said. Hook flinched but kept his nerve.

"Inflate the balloon."

Ed saluted with his foot before walking towards the hot air balloons basket. Roughly he took the mouth of the balloon in both hands. "Smoochie, smoochie!" He laughed and took a deep breath, his chest ballooned outwards a little and his mouth opened so wide you could fit a whole Ed in it. He closed his mouth, his cheeks were like massive balloons themselves now.

He jammed the mouth of the balloon over his own and he blew. He removed his mouth, took another deep breath and did it again, and again, and again.

Raven watched as the balloon filled to capacity within just five breaths. But he continued and the balloon began to stretch and get bigger, and bigger, and bigger, and it wasn't popping.

Raven was starting to regret her wager as the boat rocked a little. The balloon was now larger than the ship. One more breath, and she could feel the ship moving.

With a blur of motion Ed tied off the end of the balloon.

The ship creaked and groaned in protest under these new pressures. Raven expected something to fail. The ropes, what they were tied to, the balloon would pop or something.

"Are we moving?" Alice said. They could all feel it, but in the fog it was impossible to tell.

The Doctor picked up a bunch of pebbles he'd taken from the turtles shell, walked over to the edge and dropped one over the side. Five seconds later there was a clatter. After ten more seconds he threw another. Twenty seconds and they heard a more distant clatter. A third, and they couldn't hear a clatter at all.

 _Damn it!_

Within two minutes they could see an orange disk burning above them and soon the mist cleared and they were above the fog in the shining sunlight.

The crew cheered at the feat that had been accomplished. The Doctor retrieved his coat and slipped it on, safe in the knowledge that he wasn't going to lose it today. She could feel the smugness radiating off of him.

Raven had the sneaking suspicion that upon returning to the TARDIS his record player would mysteriously break.

Gradually they floated higher and they could see the Elephant that Raven had spotted. The one the size of a mountain.

"Ah, such a beautiful beast?" The Wizard of Oz said.

"Ah..." Captain Hook marvelled, "Someone get me my blunderbuss. That is indeed a trophy to be had."

"Oh now, really Captain." Alice complained. Tinkerbell then appeared and flashed her wand in the pirates face giving him a look of disapproval.

"Come now, I am a villain after all." Captain Hook almost pouted like a child denied his play time.

The elephant remained un-moving, its trunk raised high into the sky.

"There are three more." The Doctor said and pointed into the distance. "Look." Indeed as Raven looked out she could see three others, all very far away. So far away they were faded with distance. They all faced away from each other and each had their trunks over their heads as if holding something up. "I was right!" The Doctor smiled.

"How modest." Raven replied, guessing the Doctor had worked something out.

"Ever heard of the legend of the World Turtle?" He asked her.

"No." Raven replied with disinterest.

"It's an old legend, a myth people used to believe, that the world is flat and held up by four elephants standing on the back of a giant turtle." The Doctor laughed, "And we're under the world."

"And people believed that?" Raven asked.

"Compared to some beliefs that are held, this one is reasonable."

"Of course it is."

"I never said it was reasonably reasonable." The Doctor shrugged, "But if its here in the censored zone, it must mean the mistress hates legends. Or the legend of the flat earth at least."

"Perhaps its best some ideas are censored." Alice suggested, "If people do honestly believe it."

"I'd question the ethics and effectiveness of doing that." The Doctor commented as he marvelled at the sight.

In reality Raven was awed too, but she tried to remain as passive as possible. But the colours of what she was seeing were so beautiful. The clouds and the fog beneath were pink like in a setting sun and appeared to roll on forever. The elephants were a pinkish grey and looked very ethereal and beautiful.

The ship flew over the heads of the elephants and began to ascend faster.

"Didn't I say I'd find a way out of here!" The Doctor smiled and looked up at... the ocean?! Fast approaching, they were about to slam into it! "I thought if the elephants held up 'the world' then maybe reaching 'the world' would throw us back into the Land of Fiction."

"That sounds logical to you?!" Raven questioned loudly.

"We're about to find out. Hold tight!" The Doctor said gripping the guard rail. If they slammed into that ocean at the speed they were ascending surely they'd be smashed to pieces!

Raven told the Doctor this.

"Ah, good point, forgot about that." God she could just hit him!

Raven stood back, and to help out she cast the entire ship in a black, bubble shield, and she just prayed it would hold. She strained and dug deep into her mental reserves as the ship slammed into the ocean.

She couldn't maintain it, the shield collapsed!

* * *

Rachel was disturbed by something. Her fingers twitched and she felt cold. There was the gentle patter, patter of rain on the roof.

For some reason she felt like she was being watched.

Her eyes opened and they went to the window, she hadn't drawn the curtains but all she could see was rain water running down the surface.

She rolled her head to go back to sleep. But her mind was suddenly awake when she spotted the shadowy figure standing at the foot of her bed.

It was a short person, in a long black cloak and hood. From under that hood two red eyes burnt into Rachels soul. The figure glided around the bed and looked down at her. Its eyes were hypnotic and Rachel couldn't help but stare up at them.

"Who... what?" Rachel squirmed. A ghostly voice came from the figure. Child like, female and musical.

 _Zagreus sits inside your head,_

 _Zagreus lives among the dead,_

 _Zagreus sees you in your bed,_

White and sharp teeth spread across its hidden face.

 _and eats you when you're sleeping._

The figure held out a skeletal like hand and Rachel slowly retreated as if this thing might try to grab her. Under the cloak Rachel could see the body of a female. Raven? Was this Raven?! Her Raven?!

 _Oranges and lemons, say the bells of Saint Clement's._

 _You owe me five farthings, say the bells of Saint Martin's._

It sang in that creepy voice.

 _Here comes a candle to light you to bed,_

Then some kind of silvery liquid raced down its arm. It arched backwards and formed into a serpent of some kind with glowing green eyes. It opened its mouth to show its fangs. The hooded girls hypnotically musical voice now became edged and harsh.

 _And here comes a chopper to chop off your head!_

 _Chip, chop, chip, chop, and you - are - dead!_

The snake leapt at her!

Rachel sat bolt up right in the darkness as her mind cleared. The figure was gone, as was its pet. It was just a nightmare.

"Dad, I will kill you when I get up." Rachel said quietly and angrily as she rolled back onto her side. She doubted she'd ever get back to sleep at this rate.

As her mind drifted back into the land of nod again her brain gently chimed.

 _Oranges and lemons, say the bells of Saint Clement's_

 _You owe me five farthings, say the bells of Saint Martin's._

 _When will you pay me? Say the bells at Old Bailey..._

* * *

 _ **To Be Continued...**_

* * *

 **Authors notes:** I'm not that familiar with chess but I understand enough to know a few strategies, bluffs and traps.


	49. Chapter 48, The smallest Dose of Reality

**Chapter 48**

 **The smallest Dose of Reality.**

Raven felt her shield collapse under the pressure of thousands of tonnes of water. Water began rushing in, but suddenly it was gone! It receded just as quickly as it had come.

The ship broke the surface, water spray going everywhere as the ship settled and gently rose further up out of the water.

"I cannot believe that worked." Raven said to the Doctor.

"As I said, 'cartoon physics'" The Doctor beamed. "Sometimes you have to adapt to the logic you're fighting against."

"Cartoon physics is stupid." Raven said, "It has no basis in reality. Why should I consider it when we both agree physics doesn't work that way." The Doctor looked worried and he tried to motion for her to shut up.

'BANG'!

The balloon had suddenly exploded and ripped itself to pieces, and without the balloon to support it the ship fell, and sharply impacted the water. Everyone fell to the deck because of the impact.

"Raven, you invalidated the reality!" The Doctor complained.

"I just said it was impossible." Raven rubbed her elbow, she'd fallen on it. "And we both know it."

"Yes, and that invalidated the reality." The Doctor said, "Psychic pressure is one thing, but nothing brings a fantasy crashing down then a good dose of reality."

"Captain Hook said it was ridicules first!" Raven shouted at him.

"Captain Hook is just as much a fantasy as the balloon was. We are real. We are 'Creators'. We can influence this world with just the correct words and enough mental pressure. But the fantasy sinks when reality is added to the mix." Raven rubbed her temples. She hated this place. She was the kind of person who disregards fantasy in favour of facts and rationality, but in this world fantasy becomes reality, at least until you douse it with actual reality.

"I hate this place." Raven said.

"Speaking of sinking, I'm afraid we're taking on water." Captain Hook said as he hurried past them, pushing one of his crew out of his way as he stamped around. "Cabin Boy Ed, plug the holes. I don't care how. And don't tell Miss Raven how you intend to do it..." He gave her a dark look. "She might tell you it's impossible."

She gave him a scowl right back.

Raven suddenly thought back. Back to a few days ago when she first arrived in this world. She had encountered several small creatures who proclaimed themselves to be giants. This was obviously impossible so Raven dispelled them of that notion, and then they vanished. Popped out of existence. So she did invalidate their existence by pointing out its contradiction.

In her mind that was a literal interpretation of someones bubble being burst. When their 'fantasy reality' comes crumbling down as the false notion was dispelled.

She wondered what the Doctor thought of this and wanted to test that notion on him. But he seemed far too busy now to pay any attention to her.

 _Did I do something bad?_ She asked herself.

 _No, he's just busy._

 _Yeah, trying to sort out a mess 'I' made._

 _It's not your fault he didn't tell you rationality would cancel out the fantasy._

 _I've put the ship in danger by being rational._

 _Being rational is good, sometimes fantasy needs to be dispelled._

 _Is it though?_

 _Maybe you could use that against the Mistress._

Yeah, that was a thought. If Raven and the Doctor knew something was fantasy, then presumably they should be able to dismiss anything they came across that was dangerous as fantasy and thus dispel it.

 _Easy._ Raven smiled, _He'll be proud of me now._

 _Don't start that again!_

The crew rushed around to board up the holes the ship was leaking through. Unfortunately without the masts they had no way to catch the wind and get any forward movement going.

Someone shouted they spotted land, just on the horizon. All they needed was to somehow drift towards it.

Captain Hook wanted to break out some large ores and begin rowing towards the shore, but the problem with that was most of the crew were being used to bail out the incoming sea water.

While standing on the prow of the ship looking down into the water Raven had an idea and was keen to share it with the Doctor.

When she found him though, Barriss was already in conversation with the Doctor about how to get the ship moving.

"If I raise the water level using the Force I could push the ship forwards using gravity and buoyancy." She said. Raven felt her face contort into a snear. That was her idea! Only she was going to lower the water level in front of the ship so it constantly fell into a moving dip of water that would lead it towards the shore.

She wanted to say. "You're powers don't exist, and me and the Doctor know it." To get back at her for this. But she quickly rationalised that Barriss was just trying to help out, she didn't steal Ravens idea, they just had a similar one.

But the pleased look the Doctor gave Barriss...

 _You don't need it!_

 _But I want it._

 _Oh grow up!_

With Barriss on the bridge and Raven at the prow they both used their powers to try to push the boat along. Raven depressing the water ahead of them while Barriss forced it up from behind.

Sure, Raven could just pick up the boat and move it that way. But she'd need to maintain focus, especially to move something so large, and the mass of that object means she'd tire out more before she reached land. At least there was consultation that Barriss couldn't do it either. She didn't know how she'd feel being shown up like that, by a fiction.

"Now that we're in the real world, or real by the Land of Fictions, we just have to hope the Mistress doesn't find out we're outside her Censored field of vision." The Doctor said.

"If I know the Mistress, and I unhappily have to say I do." Alice spoke up, "She'll focus all her forces on the Censored zone. She'll assume none can escape."

"Ah!" The Doctor laughed "but if the Impostor is a creation of hers she knows if there is a way out I would find it."

"Lets just hope we have a head start on her, dear boy." Captain Hook said.

The conversation apparently over the Doctor moved towards Raven.

"Hows the paddling going, Rae Rae?"

"Would it make any difference if I asked you to stop calling me that?" Raven asked.

There was a pause which said to Raven 'No'. Well fine, she could take it.

"I am proud of you." The Doctor said, "Moving this whole ship out of water, away from the World Turtle must've been a great stress on your abilities."

"It's nothing." Raven dismissed.

"You saved them." The Doctor added.

"They're not even real people." Raven blanked.

"I'm not so sure of that any more." The Doctor replied.

"Your little theory again?" Raven rolled her eyes.

"Have you ever heard of the Turing Test? No? I thought not." The Doctor said reading her reactions and deducing her answers. "It's a test of machine intelligence. Basically to test if a machine has intelligence it must be able to hold a conversation with another being, and that person should not be able to clock on by any other means that they're not talking to another living creature, but a computer."

"These creatures pass that test?" Raven asked. The troughs in the sea she was making were too deep, so she made them more shallow and gentle.

"With flying colours as you can see. But after intelligence comes the imagination test." When Raven didn't prompt him to go on he did so anyway. "Devised by Edward Sparks in the early 22nd century. The imagination test tried to determine a machine intelligence ability to be spontaneous with intelligence. " The Doctor blew air out through his mouth in an almost whistle. "Unfortunately it also shed some light on the human condition. Basically that a lot of humans don't even pass the test."

Raven looked away, but only because she was hiding a smirk. The irony of it was amusing to her.

"Do these creatures pass the Sparks test?" she asked.

"Captain Hook, Barriss, Alice and Apu do." The Doctor said, holding out a note pad in his hand. On which he'd scribbled down some questions and answers. Some of the answers had a green 'tick' next to it, others a red 'cross'. There were mostly red crosses. "I wrote out some questions to ask each of them, going by what I've learnt about them. I've asked them these questions multiple times. If they were just a basic intelligence, like I'd expect a fiction or a computer program would be, then I'd expect to get a pre-programmed response. But that doesn't happen with them. Their responses can be as forth coming as this, or their views may change over time. Other times they don't tell me at all and just ignore me."

"You 'are' irritating." Raven said, hoping to get a rise from the Doctor. But again, his focus on this puzzle was so strong he walked right past it. Raven decided to ask a better question. "What about the Ed kid and the others?"

"If I have to be frank. I think Ed, the pirates and the lost boys were written to be simpler characters. Tinkerbell hasn't quite broken the Sparks test either, but she's close. You can see her tiny face trying to act spontaneous."

"And you're telling me this, why?" Raven asked.

"I thought you might be interested."

"I'm not." Raven said flatly.

"You call them 'creatures' not 'people.' You don't consider them alive?" The Doctor asked.

"Like you said, they're like machines. Machines can't be alive, machines don't have souls."

"I have a robot dog that'd find that remark insulting." There was a note of humour in that, which made Raven suspect this robot didn't feel anything of the kind.

"They're held here by sheer force of will." Raven said in a dismissive tone, "If the universe dies, so do they."

"Technically if the physical laws governing your existence vanished then you too would dissipate."

Raven sighed, she was getting bored of this conversation. The Doctor didn't say much else. He just leaned against the ships railing, the wind blowing in his face, dreaming up his new theory.

Suddenly he leapt up and went to the very front of the ship.

"What are you doing?" Raven asked.

"I've always wanted to do this. But never found the time or opportunity." and the Doctor stood tall and opened his arms out like he intended to flap them and take off like a bird. "They said in a movie this is what it feels like to fly!"

A mischievous smirk crossed Ravens face. She shouldn't, it was a misuse of her powers. But this was the Doctor, and he was asking for it.

Dividing her concentration Raven grabbed the Doctor with her powers and she lifted him off the deck and into the air.

"You want flight, you got flight." She smirked. The Doctor didn't look threatened, in fact he giggled all the way as Raven lifted him even higher.

"Rae Rae, come on. Put me down." He continued to giggle as if this was a game. Okay, it was actually a game. She tipped the Doctor upside down and made him do a somersault. The Doctor was still laughing. "Do it again!" Man, the Doctor was a real child at heart. Well, he asked for it so... "Wheeeeeee!" He went.

 _He's such a child!_ Though her exterior was cold, inside Raven was laughing at seeing the Doctor enjoy himself. She expected people to be terrified when she had them in her power like this. He had such confidence -or was it trust?- that she wasn't going to just dump him overboard or sharply drop him to the floor.

 _He's foolish to trust me._ Her darker mind thought.

Her mind went back to the sea troughs she was creating. Her concentration flickered for a brief moment.

 _DON'T DROP HIM!_ Her mind screamed.

 _I've got him, I've got him! Don't worry, he's totally safe._

* * *

Something made her stir again. She couldn't breathe!

She was in some kind of tight space, with the walls pressing down around her. They felt like they moved so she tried to force them to part. Daylight! She could see daylight!

"I don't understand!" Said a female voice, "How come they've mobilised? How could they turn against me? Me?! Of all people!"

"There was a leak. Some character called Alec Leamas has spread this to the masses, and the masses aren't happy!"

Where was she? Who were these people?

"They're only fictional. Who cares if they're happy! They're not really people. They exist only to serve me and my goals." the female grunted again. "I'll put them in their place!"

Raven groaned and the walls closed over her again. All light vanished, leaving her in the dark.

* * *

Rachel woke up.

Well, that was a weird dream. She really regretted eating that cheese now. First a night terror of Raven, and now a claustrophobic dream?

Maybe she was thinking about her story too hard. Perhaps the dream was about how it was consuming her and her life.

Maybe she should stop writing it for a while and let her creative juices recharge. She's probably got stacks of homework to catch up on, after all.

Gently Rachel went back to sleep.

* * *

BANG!

Something exploded on the deck and Raven dropped the Doctor! She caught him again just before he slammed into the deck and she gently let go once he could firmly stand.

"Good Lord. What was that? Lightning?" Captain Hook looked into the clear sky. The ship was slowly coming to a halt.

"It was more like a laser blast." The Doctor said shading his eyes from the sun, he pointed up into the air. "From there!"

There was a figure hovering in the sky. Big, dark and imposing. With a flash of light suddenly he'd vanished and re-appeared on the deck of the ship.

He was a tall man with bulging muscles, a knee long cape, a black cowl over his face, a face which had a vicious look to it. He was like a wrestler. In his hand he had a strange looking, gun weapon, like a laser pistol.

"Fear me, for I am the Karkus!" He said with a subtle German accent.

 _The what?!_ Raven's mind groaned.

"The Karkus?! Of course." The Doctor said excitedly. "So nice to meet you again!"

The Karkus levelled his gun at the Doctor. "I have yet to meet you before. Friend of foe?!"

"Umm…" The Doctor looked a little unsure as he gingerly raised his hands. "Friend, I hoped. I am the Doctor."

"Doctor? No. You are not the Doctor." The Karkus stepped forward aggressively. "I have been instructed to rescue the Doctor."

"I think he means the Impostor." Raven said beside the Doctor.

"Oh no, no, no, no." The Doctor shook his head as if this was a simple misunderstanding which could be sorted out so simply. The Karkus didn't look so easily swayed. "I am the Doctor. The woman in the hold is an impostor. Remember when I was first here? Remember Zoe Heriot? How she defeated you in unarmed combat?"

The Karkus stepped forwards aggressively, pointing his gun under the Doctors chin. "I remember no such thing!"

"Oh, but you must do! You were her favourite comic book character. You helped us defeat the Master of the Land of Fiction before!" This didn't look like it was ringing bells for the Karkus. "Well, you must remember Zoe being the Mistress of the Land of Fiction? She sent you on a mission to plant a bookworm in the Cyber-planner and you were killed, remember?"

"Silence speaker of untruths!" said a new voice and another person suddenly appeared with a flash. "I am Gargal Girl!"

 _What a stupid name!_

"I am the loyal sidekick to the Karkus!" The woman standing beside the Karkus didn't look a thing like any kind of super hero Raven had ever seen. She was big, bulky, muscly, but was just as dumpy as the Imposter was.

"Gargal Girl?" The Doctor questioned. "I admit I'm not totally caught up, but I'm sure the Karkus never had a sidekick."

"Silence!" Said Gargal Girl. "My power is to sniff out untruths! You are clearly lying!" She said pointing. "You are not the Doctor. You are an evil, mad scientist."

"Well, nobodies perfect, but that's over stating things a little." The Doctor joked.

"You admit your crimes?" Gargal girl accused.

"About being mad, yes. Not sure about the evil part. But everyone is evil from a certain point of view."

"Enough prattle!" The Karkus said striding towards Captain Hook. "You! You are Captain? Release the Doctor."

Captain Hook drew his sword. "That woman stays precisely where she belongs. If it were up to me I'd keel haul her; and you!"

"Gentlemen, gentlemen." The Doctor said standing between them, "I'm sure we can settle this civilly." He turned to the Karkus. "I challenge you to single combat. That is the way of the Karkus, yes? And if I win you have to obey me."

"That is true." The Karkus said looking the Doctor up and down. "But do you think you have the strength to defeat one of the worlds strongest super men?"

"Strength, no. But I'm still willing to try." The Doctor said removing his coat and he handed it to Barriss beside him.

 _Why's he giving it to her?! I'm right here!_

"This liar shall be made short work of." Gargal girl said.

Raven was certain the Doctor had a plan. No way would he enter into a competition like this unless he was sure he could win.

The Doctor adopted a fighting stance as did the Karkus.

The Karkus threw a few blows, but they were all feints. Clearly he was sizing the Doctor up, testing his reaction times and attempting to intimidate the Doctor. But the Time Lord just stood coolly, making not attempt to defend himself.

"Ha! He's so scared of you he barely moves to defend himself." Gargal Girl said. Is that the way she saw it? Raven just saw the Doctor not reacting to fake blows. He was waiting his chance.

Then a real blow came, and the Doctor stepped aside. The blow came within inches of striking him, but it still missed. A rain of blows came but the Doctor easily side stepped all of them. Was he some kind of a martial artist as well as a scientist? Raven wondered.

The Doctors fighting style seemed to be more a defensive form as he narrowly avoided blows as easily as taking a walk.

The rain of blows stopped and the Karkus was barely winded. He reached out a hand and rested it against the Doctors chest. Raven didn't guess what the purpose of this was until… What happened next happened so fast Raven had spent a couple of seconds interpreting what had just happened.

The Karkus had drawn his other hand back in a fist and attempted to punch the Doctor in the face. But the Time Lord was a little quicker. He reached across himself, took the Karkus' hand, that was resting on his chest, by the wrist and pulled it down and twisted it back. The Karkus screamed and fell forwards as the Doctor pushed forwards to hold him in some kind of lock.

"Venusian Akido." The Doctor said, "It'll always out class a fictional fighting style." The Karkus, despite being strong, could not break free of this hold he was in.

"Submit." the Doctor said. Putting a little more pressure on the lock. The Karkus squealed a little.

"NEVER!" more pressure. Raven could tell the Doctor didn't want to do it, but it was necessary to get the Karkus to surrender. This was a new side to the Doctor. She never expected him to deliberately hurt anyone. But then again, the damage he was causing was not permanent, nor life changing. The Karkus was just stuck.

BANG!

The Doctor was thrown to the floor and the Karkus broke free.

The Gargal Girl was standing beside Raven with a weapon in her hands. She'd just tried to shoot the Doctor!

"That breaks the rules of Karkus Combat!" The Doctor complained.

"You had an unfair advantage!" Gargal Girl complained back.

"Being a better fighter is no unfair advantage." Barriss commented.

Gargal girl turned and pointed her weapon at Barriss. Barriss slowly reached to her laser sword.

Just before Gargal Girl could pull the trigger Raven used her powers to bend the barrel of the gun downwards. When Gargal Girl pulled on the trigger the weapon fired down at her feet and the resulting explosion knocked the girl off her feet and her cowl went flying.

As she got up Raven instantly recognised who Gargal Girl was. It was the Impostor! Though instead of being a three eyed, purple alien; this person was clearly just human and her hair was a shocking shade of pink!

"Fascinating!" The Doctor said, "You know. You look very familiar. Almost like the Impostor Doctor downstairs, baring the difference in species. Almost as if you were cut from the same cloth."

"What does he mean, Gargal Girl?" the Karkus questioned as he composed himself.

"He is just trying to trick us. Do not forget that I can easily sniff out truths and falsehoods." Gargal girl said proudly. God, she even had the same smug look as the Impostor! This girl can't be real, right? She was a total human Doppelganger for the Impostor.

"You might be able to detect falsehoods." Barriss said, "It doesn't mean you don't speak them."

"Are you accusing 'me' of lying?!" Gargal girl asked, outraged such a thing could be asked.

"She was hardly subtle about it." Raven commented drily.

"I trust Gargal girl with my life!" The Karkus said standing next to Gargal girl. "She has been my partner for decades!"

"Oh, really. How did you meet?" The Doctor asked.

"It is not important!" The Karkus insisted.

"Then you might as well tell me." The Doctor insisted back. "Because I think you're more self-aware than you realise; and something tells me you have a vague inkling something isn't right. So how did you meet her?"

"I…" he paused, "She was found. She was exposed to radioactive contamination dumped by greedy corporations, and it was that waste which gave her, her powers."

"And she'll agree with this?" The Doctor asked.

"Of course!" Gargal girl said.

"Ah, but in your own continuity radiation does not give people powers. It's impossible and it was never retconned to be so. Therefore she can't be from the pages of the Hourly Telepress." The Doctor paused for this to sink in for the Karkus. "Therefore, she was never really your sidekick to start with." Another pause. Gargal girl began to look worried. "Therefore, you can't trust her, nor her word. Because the only untruths which could ever be spoken now and never called out are those she utters."

"Gargal girl…" the Karkus said, trailing off.

"It's all a lie!" Gargal Girl said. "Remember when we defeated the Brain Worms? The rise of the evil Emperor Malgus? Or the Solex political party?"

"I remember… but…" the Karkus said, still unsure. Gargal girl looked worried, so much so she was quietly fidgeting with her useless gun.

"I've actually read those strips. You aren't part of those stories. You know what I think. Gargal girl is an inserted character, a fan fiction." The Doctor said. "Gargal girl is just a fiction. A fiction within a fiction. Even in the Karkus world, she doesn't exist."

Her eyes went wide and her skin had gone pale at the realisation of what had just been said.

With a whoosh she was gone, the spell of fiction broken. Her costume and equipment clattered to the floor in a heap.

The Karkus stepped forward and looked over the fallen costume. "Have I been so easily manipulated?" He fell to his knees in great shame.

"It's alright." The Doctor said, "I know what you're going through."

The Karkus looked up at him. "You are the great Doctor?"

"Last I checked." The Doctor smiled a little.

"I am the Karkus! I have been sent to retrieve you for the Mistress!" He stated.

"Later, if you please." The Doctor said, motioning for everyone to be mute on the subject of the Mistress. Raven thought this wise, the Karkus had just found out his side kick was a manipulative little bitch. He probably wasn't ready to find out the Mistress was a bad guy too. "Tell me, do you really not remember me? Nor Zoe? Jamie? Either version of them?"

"I do not, sir." The Karkus stood. "Merely that I was to retrieve someone, a great person called the Doctor."

Raven noticed Barriss was looking around, a hint of worry crossing her face. What was it? Was she sensing something? The goth girl reached out too trying to feel for any danger. She could sense it, and it was fast approaching. It was near, and counting down.

Raven looked down at Gargal Girls equipment. There was a flashing light, and as time marched on the sense of danger became sharper and sharper like a dagger about to be plunged into them. It was Gargal Girls gun. It was going to explode, and they only had seconds left!

"GET BACK!" Raven shouted, waving her hands and casting a black ball around the gun. But she was just a fraction of a second too late. She felt the heat as the weapon exploded and she knew only blackness.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** If I'm honest, this update only took so long because I couldn't think of a good name to call the Karkus' fake sidekick. In the end I decided to come up with a similar ridicules name instead of trying to think of a serious one.


	50. Bk 8 Chapt 49, How to Kill a MockingBird

**Authors:** Boy this adventure is really long. I guess this would technically be part 3 of it if it was part of the TV show. :P

Since the last update I have added an extra part to the start of chapter 13. I said I might add some extra Raven and Star Fire bits between the stories and I've added one between Raven's first two official adventures in the TARDIS.

* * *

 **Book 8**

 **The Darkness of Raven.**

Rachels world is starting to fall apart around her, and she doesn't understand why.

Raven on the other hand has problems of her own, as she and the Doctor face off against the Mistress of the Land of Fiction, but the Mistress is not going to give up so easily, and she is anything but a fair fighter. It's such dirty tactics which finally pushes Raven to her limit.

* * *

 **Chapter 49**

 **How to kill A Mockingbird.**

Rachel awoke and sat bolt upright with a start, she was half way out of bed before her brain realised she'd only been dreaming.

She sighed a little. Her imagination was really over active tonight.

Glancing at the clock she saw it was 6:00am. Relaxing she dropped back onto her pillows and sighed.

"Dad, I'm so gonna kill you." She said, tasting a little peppered cheese in her mouth. After a few moments of just lazily laying in her bed she decided to get up and do something.

She switched on her laptop with the intention of writing down some notes from her dream. But she was surprised to find what was last written in the Lost Child of Azarath.

 _"Raven looked down at Gargal Girls equipment. There was a flashing light, and as time marched on the sense of danger became sharper and sharper like a dagger about to be plunged into them. It was Gargals Girls gun. It was going to explode, and they only had seconds left!_

" _GET BACK!" Raven shouted, waving her hands and casting a black ball around the gun. But she was just a fraction of a second too late. She felt the heat as the weapon exploded and she knew only blackness."_

But that's what she'd just dreamt about, and she had never written anything like that down, at all. In fact, it was all written out, all of it, her entire dream.

Had she been typing in her sleep? She must've been. Was it even possible to do that?

She rested her head in her hands. She wasn't interested in thinking about this right now.

On the table next to her she spotted a book. The Twilight Saga. One of her favourite books.

Wait! No it wasn't! She detested this book and everything in it. It was just so sickening to read about. Compared to all the books and stories she'd read it was inferior fiction. But Edward was such a hunk... No! He was a creepy character and not in a good way to her, and a stupid, weak excuse for a Vampire!

I wish I was like Bella... NO I DON'T! Bella was such a dweeb of a character. She had no interesting character arcs. Half the time she was just 'there' and she just expected boys to faun and fight over her. She's a rubbish character and a rubbish role model who enjoys when people fight, as long as its over her. Why would Rachel want to be like Bella?! Rachel wasn't so shallow that she'd like people to fight over her, was she? Bella had all the depth of a Spiders toilet bowl.

She scrunched her eyes up and focused to clear her head.

 _But I never got past the first chapter..._ Came a thought. _So how can I have these opinions?_

But she must've read them. She knew what happened in them...

Rachel looked at her bookshelf. Each book she looked at she recalled what happens in them, and their plot and characters. She got to a book called World War Z by Max Brooks and remembered it was about a fictional Zombie War. She didn't much care for it. The Zombies ran much too fast and they behaved like ants instead of wandering corpses; and that bit about the zombies not attacking the sick and dying. That was just so dumb!

She strongly placed a finger to the bridge of her nose. She was actually awake, wasn't she? She sharply pinched her noses bridge. Yep, she was a wake. Maybe her mind was still half asleep.

Yeah, maybe that was it.

 _Oranges and Lemons, say the bells of Saint Clemonds._

* * *

The following morning Rachel met up with her friends in the school yard as usual.

Rachel wished she'd seen her Dad and Mom before coming to school. She wanted to give her Dad an earful for giving her cheese before bedtime.

 _What am I talking about? Dad drove me to school like always, and Mom gave me my lunch!_

Yeah, that happened alright... So why couldn't she remember it? She shut her eyes and shook her head. It was like her life wasn't flowing properly anymore. Maybe she should try some of that meditation she was always making Raven do in the story.

Maybe, better focus away from her problems and focus instead on her friends and whatever antics they were talking about.

Victor, Richard and Garfield were all animatedly talking about some multiplayer video game they had been playing online. Victor was smug because he'd creamed the pair of them. Richard was calling fowl on his method of play and Garfield hovered in the background.

"Boys..." Rachel shrugged to Stella.

"Yes, they are." Stella answered, misunderstanding Rachels sarcasm. "Did you not accept the friend request from, None-Friend Dolores?"

"Rejected and blocked instantly." There was an awkward silence which followed and Stella looked guilty.

"Is it not a gesture of peace and friendship?" Stella asked.

"More like a method of snooping out your enemies." Rachel sighed. She pulled out her phone and decided to set her privacy setting to its maximum. She hardly used social media, but the last thing she needed was anyone finding her contact information somehow.

"Miss Rachel Roth?" Said a well spoken voice from behind her.

She turned and looked up at a tall man in a dark suit. His long white hair betrayed his great age, but his eyes and body language looked as youthful as a man in the prime of his life. He had a long, hooked nose, craggy features and a stern, yet warm look to his face.

This was Doctor Pertwee, the deputy head teacher of the school.

"Yes, Doctor Pertwee?" she asked.

"May I have a word with you; in my office, please?" He sounded serious and official about it. Was she in trouble?

She looked at Stella. "She's not in trouble is she?" The red head piped up.

"Oh no, no. But I need to talk to her, and it's probably best if its done in private, my dear." and for some reason he glanced at Victor, Richard and Garfield.

"Sure." Rachel shrugged. "I'll catch you guys up later." She raised her hand in a little wave and walked with Doctor Pertwee into school, up a flight of stairs and into his office.

His office was covered in posters of a scientific nature. The refraction of light through a prism, splitting it into many colours. The periodic table of elements. A rather childish poster explaining Hooks Law of springs. All betraying Doctor Pertwees love of science. This Doctor was a great scientist and a seeker of truth in a sea of seductively comfortable ignorance. At least, that was how she saw him.

Rachel liked Doctor Pertwee, she liked all the 'Doctor teachers' here.

 _Doctor Teachers? A weird way to describe them._

He sat her down and offered her a glass of water which she accepted.

"Now," Doctor Pertwee cleared his throat and looked like he was choosing his words carefully. "We've had a complaint."

"I thought you said I'm not in trouble." Rachel asked defensively.

"You're not, my dear." Doctor Pertwee reassured. "But we have received a complaint that I must follow up on." He held up a piece of paper for her to read. "According to this a friend of yours, Garfield. He touched someone inappropriately."

Rachel rolled her eyes, it was Garfield, it wouldn't surprise her. But she hadn't witnessed anything.

"What makes you think I have anything to do with it?" she asked.

"The incident happened yesterday, in your mathematics class." Now it made sense to her. Garfield had put his arm around her in a friendly way she didn't appreciate, and she'd bluntly told him to remove it. Which he had done like a scared animal.

"I didn't report anything." Rachel said, confusion on her face.

"It was reported by a 'concerned student.'" Yeah, Rachel could guess which one.

Silence filled the office for the next few seconds and Rachel didn't know what to say, and she got the feeling neither did Doctor Pertwee.

"Did he?" he asked at last.

"He's my friend." Rachel said choosing her words carefully. "We mess with each other. At times we even irritate each other. We interact with each other, sometimes physically." She didn't know how best to explain their friendship.

"So you do not wish me to go through with the complaint?" Doctor Pertwee asked.

"No!" Rachel said hurriedly and flatly, "if he did it to any other girl, then fine, throw the book at him, he'd probably deserve it. But he's my friend, he treats me like one, that's all we are and he knows it. If I wanted to complain about it I'd have done it myself."

"Calm down, my dear." Doctor Pertwee said. "I was sure it wasn't anything serious, but you understand I need to check up on it. The Head-mistress is very serious about such accusations, but since it was a third party reporting it I was sceptical and wanted to look into it."

"It was Dolores wasn't it?" Rachel blurted out.

"I'm not at liberty to say, my dear." Doctor Pertwee said, putting the paper down. Though upside down Rachel could read it, however there was no signature to say who had sent it. "But I take it you wish me to dismiss this complaint." It wasn't a question.

Rachel paused. Garfield had irritated her a lot in the past few days and for a brief second considered this as a kind of revenge. But no, no. She knew what the consequences would be for him and she didn't want that. It would be like replying to a slap across the face with a shotgun in the stomach.

"Dismiss it, please." Rachel said firmly. "Garfield is my friend, he's irritating and sometimes doesn't understand his friends boundaries; but when it comes down to it he is respectful."

"I quite understand, my dear Miss Roth." Doctor Pertwee said. "I understand school ground politics all too well. Heavens knows the world is practically ran by it. I trust you will speak with Master Garfield and make him understand."

"I'll twist his arm off if I have too." Rachel said with humour, though it might have been a tad too dark.

"Oh, that shouldn't be necessary." Doctor Pertwee said with deadpan humour. "But I am glad we sorted this out."

The bell rang for first period.

"Hurry now!" and Doctor Pertwee gave Rachel a slip of paper to explain her absence to the teacher and sent her on her way.

As Rachel left the office and shut the door she lent up against the wall, breathed in deeply and as she let it out she felt her anger start to boil.

Not satisfied with going after her, Dolores was now targeting her friends.

"WHAT-A-COMPLETE-AND TOTAL- BITCH!"

* * *

During first, second and third lessons it was a little awkward with Garfield now. She didn't have an opportunity to talk to him nor her friends to explain why she was now being funny with Garfield.

There wasn't anything interesting that happened in the first three lessons. Doctor Hartnel had taught more about plant germination; Doctor McCoy had begun teaching them about a book called 'To Kill a Mockingbird' and gave them an assignment to read it; and Mister Vale had again tried and failed to captivate them on statistics, how to read them, draw them and collect data; but mostly he tried to teach how bad conclusions could be drawn from incomplete statistics.

Now it was lunch time, and she could talk freely to her friends, and importantly, out of ear shot of Dolores.

While taking their seats at the cafeteria tables Rachel had gone to the toilet and when she had returned she saw that the only space left on their table was next to Garfield.

Alarm bells rang in Rachels head and quickly she asked Victor to swap seats, so she sat across from him instead of next to him. Garfield looked a little confused, and then a little defensive when Rachel looked at him with a gaze that was like a laser beam.

She sat down and tried to get Garfield to understand what Doctor Pertwee wanted to talk to her about. But it was difficult to make him understand.

"I said I was sorry." Garfield said, looking betrayed.

"I'm not the one who made the complaint!" Rachel fired back. "Someone else made it."

"Who?" Garfield asked, looking around the cafeteria, worried.

"Three guesses." Rachel said with a tone betraying that it was obvious.

"Stella?" Garfield said seriously. God, Rachel wanted to hit the idiot right now.

"She's big, she's round, she's had more attention to her nose than Michael Jackson, and there are things she could teach to tropical skin diseases."

Garfields attention went to a teacher in the corner with a small nose and a large chest.

"Dolores 'Umbridge', you idiot!" She finally hissed at him.

"Oh." Garfield said, and shrugged as if this was no big deal.

"No 'Oh'." Rachel said firmly, "Gar, you could've gotten into serious trouble if Doctor Pertwee hadn't come to me first."

"Why would she do that?" Garfield asked.

"I think because she wants to get at Rachel through any means, including through us." Richard said, his voice direct and cold. "Its a warning. Stop protecting her, or get caught in the cross fire."

"You think she'd really hurt us to get at Rachel?" Stella asked. She sounded like this was so far-fetched, like someone wouldn't be so despicable to do this.

"I've seen it happen before. Some people think the ends justify the hurt they cause to others." Richard said.

"Yeah, I've seen it before, too." Garfield piped up. "On the show Bad Cops."

"Yeah, but that's not real." Victor said, mocking Garfield.

"Didn't Doctor McCoy say all fiction is based on fact?" Garfield asked.

Were Rachels ears deceiving her? Or did Garfield come out with an intelligent parry to the jab?

"That's not the point." Richard said getting everyone's attention back to himself. "The point is, she thinks threatening us will force us to move aside."

"Fat chance of that happening." Victor said patting Rachel on the shoulder like a brother would a little sister.

"Yes, friend Rachel." Stella said smiling sweetly, "We shall not let her win."

"Yeah, we'll stand by you!" and Garfield began to stand up. Rachel didn't know what he was about to do but she quickly hissed at him.

"Sit down!" and instantly he did so.

"What?" He asked, worried he'd caused offence.

"Moby Dick is watching us." Rachel could see Dolores in the corner with Marya. They were looking at her. "Don't give her an excuse." She stared into Garfields eyes like she was looking into his soul. "Don't approach, or even touch another girl. I don't want you to get in trouble."

"We'll need to be extra cautious around her." Richard said. "She's clearly not beneath using systems designed to protect others in order to attack." Richard clicked his knuckles as his fists rolled up and clenched tightly. This had really gotten him fired up.

* * *

"Man, Garfield sounds like a dweeb." Beastboy laughed, "who's he supposed to be?"

Ravens face fell. "You mean you really can't tell?"

Beastboys smile faltered a little and his cheeks, despite their green hue, were going a little red. He fully knew who she was talking about. He looked away from her gaze.

She decided to move on before this got any more awkward.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** Dolores is somewhat also based on Cartman from South Park. Someone who'd often find ways to use and abuse systems that are supposed to protect others because they are easy to abuse and difficult to fight against. An example would be in one episode where he literally pretended he had tourettes (a serious condition that affects millions of people.) just so he could swear, and call people names all he wanted and never get punished for it. Such power was seductive to him. When Kyle called Cartman out, knowing he was just faking it all, Cartman then relished in the fact that the adults would over-react and either attack or berate Kyle for daring to be skeptical while at the same time comforting the fraudulent Cartman. Something Cartman was only too delighted to encourage.

Now you know the difficult position Rachel and her friends are in, in their battle against Dolores; and worse, how far she's willing to go to make life uncomfortable for them.

Anyone who's read 'To Kill a Mockingbird', might connect why I've called this chapter, 'How to Kill a Mockingbird'. Originally I wanted to call it, 'How to Kill a Mockingbird and get away with it.' But the title was too long to be accepted.


	51. Chapter 50, Dolores' Perfidy

**Authors notes:** I've gone back and divided the story into 'Books' which divide the story into individual adventures or like episodes of a TV show. You'll notice them in the listings.

I've made some small changes to chapter 31, nothing too major, but it does now contain something that is subtly referenced here. You won't need to re-read it to understand the chapter, so don't worry. ;)

* * *

 **Chapter 50**

 **Dolores' Perfidy**

Rachel was on edge for most of the day. She was just waiting for Dolores to try something. Poke and prod at them, get them to react so she could cry and pretend to be hurt.

It never occurred to Rachel before, but she and her friends were essentially social outcasts in one form or another. They were a group of misfits. They weren't bad or nasty, but they stood out compared to everyone else.

For that reason all five were seen as 'the Others,' they were strange, weird; and if Rachel knew one thing it's when a group of misfits get in trouble, the punishment is always magnitudes worse, and not very fair.

Looking over at Dolores, she too was a member of a group of misfits. But where as Rachels group was content to just keep themselves to themselves, Dolores had to make noise, and pretend to be angelic when her motives were sinister.

That made Rachel hate Dolores all the more. She was someone who wanted to be nasty, but have an excuse, a 'good reputation' so she could get away with it. It was the kind of bullying she was used to at the School of Azarath, but it was still irritating to watch her strut around as if her own B.O. didn't stink.

Hopefully that smell would wash off her now because it was GYM time again. The boys and girls had been split up this time, the boys were going to play basket ball while the girls went swimming.

Dolores had complained to Doctor Davison about this. Claiming the boys and girls should play together because separating them was a form of discrimination.

"Correct me if I'm wrong." Doctor Davison said casually, with an edge. "Wasn't it you, who yesterday suggested the boys and girls not mix, nor compete in case the boys showed the girls up?"

Dolores had no answer to this. She just stared at him moodily. "It's discrimination." She insisted.

"It was your idea."

"That was different, now we..." Before Dolores could say anymore Doctor Davison walked past her to speak with Garfield and Victor, who looked like they were fighting over something, probably trivial. Dolores looked like the words she was about to use had just had a massive pile up at her mouth as her face bunched up in an angry scowl. She tried to pursue Doctor Davison, but he looked like he was doing his best to get away from her.

Rachel knew the feeling.

Now Rachel stood in her swimming costume with the other girls. Of course, her own was jet black. She found this attire quite comfortable and liberating in a way. Just a shame its not as appropriate to wear something as form hugging as this all the time. A few of the girls giggled and muttered about how good they looked, and about what boys thought of them.

Rachel just rolled her eyes. Do all girls just do things to get boys to look at them?

When she passed a mirror she glanced at her own reflection in her costume, her form and body. Plenty of people thought she was malnourished because she had such a slim stomach, but she actually ate well and didn't over eat. Rachel decided they were just jealous that her figure was natural, that she didn't really need to work for it, not very hard at least. She had just had the luck of the lottery draw of life and had inherited her mothers curves.

The ground shook, and Rachel guessed correctly, Dolores had entered the picture. She just imagined the water on the pool shuddering as she walked.

Dolores was dressed in some sickly, pink swimsuit which barely contained her bulging form, and she went to go stand next to Rachel.

"Its not healthy to starve yourself." Dolores said, looking her up and down.

Rachel narrowed her eyes.

"Neither is it healthy to have breakfast at McDonalds, but that doesn't stop you." Rachel heard Dolores' knuckles click in frustration.

"You're a really nasty piece of work!" She snarled.

"So eat me." Rachel felt the people listening in on the exchange laugh.

"I'm only concerned about you and others." Dolores said, "aren't you worried you might make people feel uncomfortable? That some people might starve themselves too. To try to achieve your unnatural figure?"

"So you're saying my figure is desirable?" Rachel shrugged, "Thanks."

"No, its not healthy and it's not achievable for everyone!" Dolores moaned, if Rachel could walk away from her, she would.

"My body, my rules." Dolores looked shocked that Rachel would say that.

"No, no. You're not supposed to say that!" Dolores stumbled, as if Rachel was not supposed to say that to her, but something else.

"My body, my rules." Rachel said again.

"But what about people who think your body is achievable?!"

"They are responsible for their own body, I'm responsible for my own body. I am not responsible for anyone elses'." Rachel looked at Dolores up and down. "And I'm not taking the blame for an insurance write-off."

Rachel could tell Dolores so wanted to hit her. But she stayed her hand because the teacher was here. It was Doctor Davison again taking the class.

Dolores instantly complained that a man shouldn't be teaching a girls swim class. But Doctor Davison looked clueless as to why.

"You might make people feel uncomfortable." Dolores said. "I'm sure many here would want to speak up, but are too scared." Rachel rolled her eyes. Doctor Davison was always a respectable sort. She felt more comfortable with him than she did with Dolores. The big girl just wanted to be the centre of attention. Looking at the other girls Rachel got the impression they were all looking at Dolores like she was someone proclaiming the world to be flat, evolution to be a lie, and the sun went around the earth.

After a brief argument, in which Doctor Davison explained that the female GYM teacher is currently unwell, and ended with Dolores being put in her place, did Rachel approached Doctor Davison to speak to him.

"I'm not inappropriate, am I?" He asked with such an innocence to him.

"Ignore her, but keep a close eye." Rachel advised, "she tried to get my friend in trouble, for nothing. I think she believes herself to be a crusader."

Doctor Davison didn't seem to understand what she was saying, and she didn't have time to explain herself so settled for telling him. "Ever read Harry Potter? Heard of Dolores Umbridge? That's what she's like."

* * *

All the girls arranged themselves in rows and prepared to swim the length of the pool. For some reason, as Rachel got closer and closer to the edge of the water she began to get a pang of anxiety. It was as if her brain didn't want her to jump into the deep water for fear she wouldn't come back up again. As if she couldn't swim.

But she knew how to swim. She remembered her dad teaching her when she was seven. So why was she so scared?

Marya was behind her, the difference in their figures now much more noticeable, and Marya didn't like it.

It was Rachels turn to swim, and she got to the edge of the pool and looked down into the water, seeing herself stare back. She looked utterly terrified.

"Move it!" Marya said and sharply she shoved Rachel into the water. It was so deep Rachel sank to the bottom. She pushed off and broke the surface and gave Marya a nasty look. A nasty look which vanished when she realised something worrying. She wasn't floating. She was being dragged down!

Rachel tried to reach up to grab something, but the edge of the pool was too far away. Water closed over her mouth and she vanished under the pool.

 _Swim! Swim! How can I not know how to swim?!_

She reached around, felt for the floor as she held her breath. The weight of her soaking cloak was weighing her down.

 _Cloak? I'm not wearing a cloak!_

She got flashes of her dad, in the pool with her when she was seven, holding her stomach as she swam around to get comfortable with the movement. But nothing useful came of the memory. It was like she could remember it, but not 'feel' it.

Rachel looked around. She was surrounded by slowly sinking lumps of wood. Dead bodies, black ink leaking out of them. She saw the surface and frantically she tried to swim back up to it, but she didn't know how to swim. The Monks of Azarath never taught Raven how to swim, it wasn't necessary.

In desperation she focused her powers and tried to force herself to the surface to grab onto something, anything to keep her afloat.

She couldn't speak her chimes, so her focus was limited. But she shot towards the surface and she prepared to break it!

Rachel suddenly coughed, and a great deal of water erupted from her mouth. She took great, sack fulls of air through her aching lungs as she came back to reality.

"Are you alright, Miss Rachel?" Doctor Davison asked, he was kneeling over her and by the look of it he was the guy who'd just saved her life. He was also soaking wet.

"Like I nearly drowned!" Rachel said gasping through each breath.

Gently Doctor Davison moved her towards a bench and set her down.

"What happened?" Doctor Davison asked, and Rachel explained how Marya had pushed her into the pool. But Doctor Davison was more concerned about why Rachel couldn't swim. "I don't know. I thought I could swim, but I guess I can't."

"How could you have taken swimming in P.E. before and never realised you couldn't swim?" Doctor Davison asked aghast.

"I don't know." Rachel gasped again. That was a horrid experience, she never wanted to go through that again.

"Do you want to go to the nurse?" Doctor Davison asked.

"No." Rachel said, "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Rachel nodded, "I think its better if you stay on the side for now and get your strength back." Rachel nodded in thanks.

Stella was at her side in an instant. "Oh, friend Rachel, that was truly awful to see." She proclaimed.

"Try living it." Rachel commented.

"When Doctor Davison saw you struggling he jumped in immediately to save you. I had feared we'd lost you." Stellas concern was touching, but she hugged her so tightly Rachel was feeling a little uncomfortable.

"He shouldn't have done that!" said the annoying voice of Dolores.

"Done what? Saved me?" Rachel asked.

"No, put his hands on you." Dolores said. "That's why we're supposed to have a female GYM teacher." Rachel fixed Dolores with a toxic look. The man had just saved her life and Dolores was complaining about stuff that wasn't her business.

Rachel didn't speak, she just stared directly at Dolores hoping she'd get the hint and go away.

"When I saw him dive in, drag you out and give you mouth to mouth. It really disturbed me. I wouldn't want him touching me!" Dolores said with venom. "I want a female GYM teacher to look after us. Do you agree?"

"I'll do you a favour." Rachel said, her words and eyes pointy and covered in poison. "When you're drowning and need reviving, I'll hold him back for you."

Dolores looked like she was about to explode. She mimed with her hands. "The point!" She held up her hand as if holding something. She then pointed at Rachel before moving her hand over her head. In other words, Dolores arrogantly assumed Rachel was talking back because she was 'missing the point, it's going over your head.'

Keeping her cool, Rachel mimed with her hands too. Pointing at Dolores, circled a finger around her right ear; then she gave the big girl a very pronounced and erected middle finger.

Dolores didn't like that.

If you can't take it, don't dish it; and Dolores looked like the kind of person who couldn't take it.

* * *

Rachel recovered from her dunking in the pool quite quickly, but still couldn't understand why she didn't remember how to swim. It was embarrassing, and Marya was gleefully telling everyone who'd listen that Rachel couldn't swim, and was saying it in a tone of voice so Rachel heard her every time.

Her friends were beside themselves with worry, but she didn't want them to worry. She was fine, and she didn't want to talk about it anyway.

The final lesson of the day was Geography, taken by some teacher she really didn't find memorable, nor interesting to look at, at all. He was so boring and half the time Rachel suspected he wasn't really there. Like he was a hologram or a ghost. Like Professor Binns in the Harry Potter books. In fact... yes. His name was even Binns.

 _Huh? Weird._

Dolores spoke with the teacher before she sat down. Rachel didn't know what she was saying, but she guessed it wouldn't be anything good. Or maybe she was complaining about how boring he was.

The work they were going to do was something to do with melting glaciers. Rachel couldn't care less; and they'd be split up into pairs for the assignment.

The teacher drew their names out of a hat, and one by one they were paired up. Marya was with Garfield, and good luck to him. Stella and Victor were both paired off with one of Maryas goons. Richard was pared off with someone else in the class, she didn't know who; and Rachel...

Rachel wanted to bang her head on the table. She wanted someone to shoot her, now.

She had been paired with Dolores.

The large cry-bully strutted towards her and sat herself down. Rachel refused to sit next to her and quickly swapped seats so she was sitting across from Dolores, not next to her. She raised her geography text book in front of her face and pretended to read it as her eyes stared at a picture of the alps.

"You don't like me, do you." Dolores said.

"What gave it away?" Rachel said with venom.

"I'm just a lonely girl." Dolores said sweetly.

"I am so surprised!" Rachel said, adding more venom.

"Look," she said, "I think we got off on the wrong foot." What game was Dolores playing now? "Lets wipe the slate clean and start again."

Rachels guard was instantly up and she prepared to choose her words carefully in case Dolores attempted to twist them.

"I'm just someone who's tired of being kicked around, pulled back and judged for what I look like."

 _That's not why people judge you._ Rachel thought rather than said.

"I found your story last night and I read it." Dolores said. Rachel waited for some complaint. "You must understand what it feels like to be pushed around, kicked to the curb and judged unfairly. In a way, I kind of find your story empowering."

Rachels eyes appeared over the edge of the book. She was still suspicious and yet curious.

"Yes. Someone like Raven breaking free of her chains, becoming powerful and fighting back against the people who oppressed her!"

Rachels eyes narrowed.

"I felt fear when the Doctor threatened her." Threatened? When did he do that? Was she talking about when the Doctor spoke harshly to Raven after the Shaydes? That wasn't a threat! "I felt choked as that Vampire took hold of her and cheered as she broke free of her bonds. I cried when the Doctor revealed he was evil too." The Doctor wasn't evil, he was just like Raven, he had darkness in him too. "I just love hearing about how Raven is slowly breaking her chains, and I'm waiting for when she goes back to uproot that oppressive Azarath and Gallifrey civilisation and make the universe a better place."

Rachel sighed deeply. That wasn't Raven at all. Raven just wanted to be left alone in the TARDIS to live out her natural life away from everyone else. She had no desire to attack and hurt the people of Azarath, or anyone; no matter how unfairly they treated her. She could already crushed them all like insects at the start of the story, but didn't. Raven just wanted peace. Her dark side, the part of her she's struggling against, that was the part that wanted to hurt people for their treatment of her. But it wasn't something Raven embraced, she fought it, because it was evil.

Rachels eyes disappeared back behind the geography book.

"I don't mind that you based the Impostor off me." No, it wasn't. Though there were similarities between them. "I probably deserve it and its sobering to see myself reflected back at me like that." Dolores sounded sincere, but Rachel wasn't buying it.

"But maybe she could see the light, and become one of the good guys of your story?" Rachels answer was 'no,' but she didn't summon the effort to say it. The Impostor had a different destiny in the story, one more fitting. Dolores obviously wouldn't like it.

"Or maybe after their current story you could have some more which deal with oppressive, prejudice and awful governments and leaders, and how they over throw them." Rachel groaned to sound like she was listening.

"Okay, when will Raven rebel against the Doctors oppressive influence?" Oppressive? Was Dolores reading the right story? The Doctor and Raven were friends, close friends, though Raven would never admit it. Rachel had based their relationship on the one she had with her own dad, and her dad in no way oppressed her.

A vein was starting to throb on her temple as she heard more and more of Dolores' twisted version of the story. To Dolores the story wasn't about a lonely girl coming out of her shell and discovering the wonders of the universe she lives in, forming a friendship and a fatherly bond with the Time Lord. It was about an oppressed girl, slowly using everyone to become more, 'liberated,' was the word Dolores used. To her, even the Doctor was an oppressor to be liberated from, not a friend who teaches and protects her.

"You're not listening to me, are you?" Finally, she'd clocked on.

Rachel held up her hand, and pointed at it with her free hand. "The story, plot, the point." She called it. Then Rachel pointed at Dolores before moving her hand smoothly over her head.

Dolores was stunned. She understood what Rachel was saying. She looked purple faced as Rachels eyes disappeared behind the book again.

"Well, if that's the way you want to play it, I think your story should be taken down. It's icky and creepy." Dolores now spat, her tune changing.

"Oh yes, you really are a fan of my work." Rachel rolled her eyes.

"I'm just suggesting how to make it better!" Dolores moaned, "So you'll get more readers."

"It's not written for a mass market." Rachel hissed. "It's my own, personal story. I write it for me. The people who like it are the people who like it. But I couldn't care less if no one reads it." Her eyes appeared over the book, "and I'm not interested in pleasing readers like you."

"But you have fans!" Dolores insisted. "I'm now a fan! You should listen to me!"

Rachels eyes wanted to roll into overdrive. Dolores wasn't a fan, not a fan in the way Rachel thought of it. She got the feeling Dolores only became a fan when she found out how popular the story was, that it had reach to an audience; which Rachel only recently discovered was quite large. Maybe Dolores decided it fashionable to 'like' it, or at least to say positive things about it in public. But deep down Dolores didn't care for it, perhaps she even hated it, and wanted it to change to suit her rather than accept it wasn't written entirely to cater to her. Raven was a reflection of Rachel, and Dolores just couldn't understand that, nor did she accept it.

To Rachel, Dolores wasn't a 'fan' because she had demonstrated she didn't understand what Rachels story, nor the characters were even about, and because of that she suspected what Dolores would want Rachel to write would be a misunderstanding of them.

Rachels next thought was, 'Why doesn't Dolores just write her own story?' But it came to her. Dolores saw how popular Rachels story was, and she wanted to tell her own story with that built in audience to read it. Dolores wasn't going to give advice to make the story any better, she wanted to hijack it.

"I'll continue to write what I want, thanks." Rachel dismissed.

"Don't you want it to be better? More exciting? Liberating? Positive? Progressive?" Dolores said, trying to guilt trip Rachel. As far as Rachel was concerned her story already had those traits built in, some were subtle, but they were there. She wondered if Dolores was really so narrow in scope and intelligence that she couldn't see it. But then the reason for her saying it became clear.

Dolores had used positive words to describe what she wanted from Rachels story. 'Liberating,' and, 'Progressive.' Any attempt to decline Dolores now could be spun to mean Rachel was 'anti' all those things, rather than just 'anti-Dolores.' So Rachel remained silent and went back to staring at the inside of her text book. It was a good few minutes before Dolores spoke again.

"It's creepy, you know." Dolores then said, "That the Doctor is a nine hundred year old man travelling with a sixteen year old girl who isn't his daughter."

Rachels fingers gripped the book tighter and the vein in her temple pulsated more intensely. She knew exactly what Dolores was getting at, but she refused to rise to the bait. The Doctor and Ravens' relationship wasn't like that, Rachel hadn't written it like that at all.

But it was such a 'Dolores' thing for her to do, to willingly misunderstand and twist it so it sounded like something icky. What was her game? What was she trying to do? Was this just to poke and prod at Rachel? Or was there something much more sinister afoot?

"In fact, you know what." Dolores was adding smugly "I think I deserve to help write this story since the Impostor is clearly based on me." It wasn't; and Dolores had said this with such relish as if she now had Rachel in something totally legally binding.

When Rachel didn't reply Dolores smoothly put her fingers on the tip of Rachels book and pushed it down so Rachel had to look at her. They stared at each other, like two enemies across a battlefield. Dolores smug look faltered as she caught Rachels cold, staring eyes. The goth girl wondered what delusions that pink hippo had running through her head.

"I am talking to you!" Dolores said, as if she deserved her attention.

"and I'm not listening." and Rachel slammed the book closed very hard, catching Dolores fingers between the heavy pages.

Rachel may have gotten detention for this with Mister Binns, but it was worth every second for the emotional satisfaction she'd felt as Dolores screamed and nursed her sore fingers; and now Rachel could do her geography work and get it done much faster without Dolores to 'help her'.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** Wow, 50 chapters! I never expected this story to be so long and I never expected myself to have the imagination to keep it going.

Special thanks to everyone who's still following the story, and I hope you'll continue to enjoy it as we move on wards.

Cheers

-TimeLordParadox


	52. Chapter 51, Raven's Mirror

**Authors notes: 07/07/2019** I've gone back and re-written chapter 32, specifically the latter half when Raven and Kasey stumble into Kaseys Time Machine. I did this because I was always unhappy with what I'd written and I did change it multiple times until I got a version I felt was just right; and now I have it. :D

* * *

 **Chapter 51**

 **Raven's Mirror.**

Raven was awoken from her slumber by the shouts and calls of many men who sounded like they were hard at work.

She opened her eyes, and instantly closed them. The sun was so bright.

Breathing deeply and waiting for her eyes to wake up she tried to gauge where she was based on her other senses.

There was the sound of a lot of activity, possibly a work yard of some sort.

She was soaking wet and through her cloak she suspected she was laying on damp sand. She took a deep breath. Something was restricting her chest from rising and falling too much.

There was also the sent of salty, sea air and the sound of gulls.

Her mouth and teeth felt weird. But that always seems to happen when she's knocked unconscious or falls asleep outside of her normal sleeping pattern.

She could also sense many life signs around her, and yet... they were all very close.

Slowly she opened her eyes and looked at the perfect, blue sky with gulls flying around.

Her fingers moved and played with a few grains of sand as her mind rushed back to full focus.

Where was everyone? She could hear a lot of activity around her, but there was no sign of any life anywhere.

Gently she turned her head, and felt several clumps of hair being pulled preventing her head from turning. She tried to turn her head the other way and it was the same on the other side of her head, and from the top as she looked down.

She was tied up! But tied up in an unusual way. She was tied up with string. Brown, dirty string which looked like it was pegged into the sand around her.

"The beast awakens!" Shouted a voice, and there was a scurry of movement as her head moved back into position. Her eyes rolled to find the people shouting, but they must be beneath her possible field of vision.

Something prodded her sharply near her ear and she winced. It was like someone just prodded her with a cocktail stick.

Raven remembered, she was in the Land of Fiction, and maybe this all referenced something, but she couldn't think what.

Sensing the pegs that were holding her hair in place she activated her powers and the pegs popped out of their holes allowing her head free movement and her head rolled to her right.

Her eyes widened. There was good news and bad news.

The bad news was she was greatly outnumbered. Hundreds to one.

But the good news was, she had them all greatly out-sized. Compared to her these people were small, very small. Her thumb was larger than any of these men.

"Do not move, fowl beast of the sea!" Called out a man in fine clothes who sat atop a great horse.

Raven sighed, she knew what fiction she'd fallen into now.

"Gullivers' Travels." She sighed, "Of course..." These guys were the lilliputlians, the ones who tied Gulliver up after a ship wreck. Figures.

At the behest of her powers, all the ropes holding her down snapped and she sat up. The army around her scattered. Some of the lilliputlians who were standing on her as she slumbered ran and jumped off, or slid down ropes she had not yet severed.

Raven untangled her legs as the army began to mobilise around her. They were no threat to her, so she ignored them and focused on untangling her legs.

The little men came at her with long poles, bravely thrusting them out at her.

 _Why do tiny things have to be such pests!_ She thought. Looking at the mobilising army she waved her fingers at them in a 'shooing' motion as if she was shooing away some bothersome insects.

Raven got to her feet, and she raised her foot to take a step forwards and the army instantly began to scatter. Carefully she placed her foot down in a clearing and moved forward to take another step.

BANG!

Raven's shield instantly appeared in time to catch a large pellet of metal which had been fired by a cannon near a cliff face, that to Raven's perspective was just a gentle ledge. Other cannons were preparing to fire. Before they could, Raven's powers reached out and squeezed the muzzels of the cannons. When they next went off they exploded.

The goth girl was just so tempted to take strides forwards and not care who or what she crushed. In fact, she didn't know why she just didn't do that. These creatures were hostile to her, after all.

 _Try to be nice._ Her mind said. But it was difficult with the lilliputlians constantly trying to jab at her with their weapons. She was used to this feeling, lesser people finding her a threat and feebly trying to subdue her when she could crush them all so easily. At this moment, towering over and surrounded by easily destroyed, fearful mortals, it was the perfect metaphor for her life; she was not just 'different,' but an unstoppable Titan amongst easily destroyed mortals.

 _The Doctor would never know, and they are only fictions._ Her mind reasoned. _Would you be concerned with the well being of an ant?_

Despite thinking this, she found herself not acting upon it regardless.

Eventually she turned and looked at the army which still followed her and she said very firmly, slowly and sharply to this mass of insect like soldiers.

"GO... AWAY...!" She warned. They stopped at her words and looked like they were considering, but began advancing forwards regardless.

She turned more sharply and stamped her foot down waving her hands. "SHOO! SHOO!" She said sharply. Again the soldiers hesitated, but quickly found their courage to advance again. Raven clenched her fists and used her powers to summon a whirl wind, which she blasted at the tiny humans hoping they'll finally get the point and just go away.

They still wanted to follow her.

 _Persistent_ _little bastards!_ She thought.

Raven could hurt them, it would be so easy and would give her masses of satisfaction. But no, she could easily outpace them just by putting one foot in front of the other, so instead she just ignored them and continued walking. She hovered over the top of a ditch in the land, which was like a canyon to them, and she left them behind the barrier and in her dust.

She floated above the ground and looked around for any sign of wreckage from the ship, and she reached out hoping to sense the distinctive signature of the Doctor. But she felt nothing. He was either too far away to sense, or...

 _Don't think it!_ She didn't even want to consider it. _The Mistress is so gonna pay for this._

Along the shoreline she spotted some wreckage from the Black Pearl and so she set herself down on the ground to investigate. It was the mast and rigging mostly, along with a few bodies that were leaking ink. She released a breath when she discovered the Doctor was not among them, not Captain Hook, Alice or anyone she knew, or cared about. Though sadly, Barriss was not among the dead.

 _That was a nasty thing to think!_

 _Oh, shut up._

Raven froze as a voice, a shout, in a language she didn't understand came at her. Raven spun around to see a tall man in a triangular brimmed hat holding a flint lock pistol at her. He spoke again in a tongue she didn't understand, but it was threatening. The TARDIS wasn't translating for her anymore.

"Umm... do you speak English?" She asked slowly, her stare intense to show she was not intimidated by him.

"Ah..." The man said, "My birth was of honest parents on an Island called England."

 _Weird way to talk._ Raven thought. He also spoke with a very broad, regional English accent. Raven wondered if it was another form of Yorkshire. She didn't have a good understanding of English accents.

"Are you here alone?" She asked, scanning the area around her in case this was some sort of trap.

"What became of my companions I cannot tell. They were all lost." The man said.

Raven's mind went back to the Doctors theory about fictional characters becoming more three dimensional. Clearly this person was still bound by the pages he came from. Perhaps he speaks in a weird way because its all the dialogue he has access to.

"Where are you from?" She asked, but again she got a strange answer.

"Ah, it would not be proper to trouble you with the particulars of my adventures." He said. "My father had a small estate in Nottingham, miss. I was the third of five sons, he sent me to Emmanuel college in Cambridge at fourteen years old." He rattled on, but the text did sound familiar to Raven. Nottingham? Emmanuel college in Cambridge? She remembered having to look these places up.

Raven suddenly had an idea. She had already met lilliputlians, so perhaps this was...

"Are you Lemuel Gulliver?"

"Your servant!" The man said bowing. Presumably that was a 'yes'. This was a start, but it got her nowhere to finding her friends. But Raven hesitated before speaking. Was Gulliver a servant of the Mistress? Or was he a free character?

"I'm looking for my friends." She said, and she described the Doctor, Captain Hook, Alice and the like.

"I confess, I know not of whom you speak. Though my eyes have clapped a person of the feminine persuasion in a similar guise of your own, though of a curious complexion." That sounded like Barriss alright.

 _Damn it!_

"Accompanied by a woman of great girth, also of a curious complexion of the skin with a curious decoration adorning the forehead."

And that was the Impostor.

 _Double damn it!_

Raven was about to ask if Gulliver had seen them. When he suddenly froze, and looked like he was sensing something in the air that Raven could not.

"Quick, we must make ourselves scarce!" He cried and he ran towards the cliff face, past a small boat and he dived into a cave. Raven followed slowly from behind, not fully understanding the urgency. Until she saw something gigantic stepping over the cliff face. A young boy and a girl, both were gigantic!

Raven had met the Lilliputlians, and Gulliver, these must be people from Brobdingnag, the island of giants.

Ravens body locked up at the sight of them. Flashes of her father towering over her entered her mind, she was terrified; and these were children, so she was doubly terrified, and they were gigantic, so she was triply terrified!

The girl spotted Raven in the sand and they moved forwards. The boy reached for her.

Snapping out of it, Raven activated her powers and dark energy took the boys hand, and she twisted it. The giant winced in pain and fell to the ground on his side.

The girl now raised a fist and tried to bring it down on Raven. But she quickly took to the sky and flew for the space above them. The Goth girl dodged grasping hands and fingers. But the boy threw a fist full of sand at her, and she was blinded for a second.

Concentration lost, Raven fell to the ground in the sand trying to clear her eyes.

The girls clawed hand was reaching down for her, and the boy looked ready to squash her like a bug.

Suddenly the giant hand was batted out of the way and the two children were pushed aside by someone new.

"Leave it alone!" Said the new figure, a girl, and one Raven knew. It was Alice! She'd eaten her magic biscuits and turned giant.

"You two should be ashamed of yourselves!" Alice scolded, "Go home and leave this poor creature alone!"

"But it hurt me!" The boy cried.

"It doesn't want to be picked up." Alice said, sternly. "Now go home, before I tell your mother."

The two kids were upset as they stamped away, one crushing Gullivers small boat in frustration as they went.

Once they were out of sight Alice drank her potion and she shrank back down to Ravens size.

"Thanks." The goth girl said.

"Pleasure." Alice nodded.

* * *

"This Island is a jumble of different Island adventures. Gullivers Travels, Treasure Island, Robinson Crusoe, Coral Island, Lord of the Flies, Castaway, Lost. It's all here." Alice said as they began to trek across the Island, following Gullivers instructions to locate Barriss and the Impostor.

"No sign of the Doctor or Hook?" Raven asked.

"When the bomb went off I was thrown clear of the ship. I don't know what happened." Alice said. Raven noticed something odd. Alice's clothes were dry, and they were neat and unwrinkled. Perhaps it was something to do with the Land of Fiction itself, Raven reasoned.

"Do you think the Doctor is still alive?" Alice asked.

"I couldn't kill him, so yeah." Raven said. Alice looked a little on edge after that comment.

They went into a forest. This was where Gulliver said he saw the girls. It didn't take long for them to find the pair. The Impostor, as always, had a voice which carried like a fog horn.

"They aren't bad people." Barriss said, as she poked the camp fire with a stick. "They just don't want to be ruled by the Mistress, they want to have the freedom to be themselves and not be re-formatted to suit the world and stories the Mistress wants."

"Everyone else is happy with her." The Impostor countered. She struggled against her bound feet and hands.

"Only because they're either ignorant, stubborn, or you've already re-written them." Barriss said back. "I don't know if I trust the Mistress to re-write me."

"You're already the perfect character. You're nice, kind, sweet, a touch of spice to your personality, and you're an alien species, and a girl."

"Perfect, as in boring." Barriss countered. "Say what you like, but the fact I betrayed Ahsoka is the only reason why I'm so memorable to start with. Ahsoka was a better character than I ever could be."

"We can make you the best character you want to be. Do you want to be the most powerful Force user? Do you want to retcon something? Do you want to be universally loved? Have parents? A boyfriend? A Girlfriend? The Mistress will re-make you however you want to be."

"And add a little of her own views to override mine?" Barriss asked sceptically.

"Your views and personality match precisely the kind of character the mistress wants on her side." The Impostor said. "Think about it."

"I am thinking about it. Our views may match for all I know, but I can see the way she goes about it; and 'that' I strongly disagree with."

Snap!

Alice had just stepped on a twig. Oh well, might as well reveal themselves.

Raven stepped out into the clearing, pretending they had only just stumbled onto them now.

"Oh great, its you." Raven said flatly, Alice just behind.

* * *

Neither Barriss nor the Impostor knew where the Doctor was. Raven was sure the Impostor was telling the truth, Raven had been very... 'persuasive.'

So they hunkered down for the night in the forest. But Raven had trouble sleeping, she'd technically slept for a good few hours in the sea. Usually she'd meditate until she falls asleep, but it was still a trial to do that here, in this world.

What if the Doctor is dead?

 _He isn't._

 _But what if he is?_

 _He isn't!_

If he was, then Raven would have to release the TARDIS and try to escape this insane world. It was the Doctors desire to fix this strange realm, and she only went along with what the Doctor wants.

 _Why?_

 _Because..._ She had no answer. _Because..._

 _Because he's your daddy?_ The voice in her head mocked.

 _Ye... yes._

 _Grow up! Trigon is your father._

 _I don't want Trigon to be my father._

 _You're his biological daughter._

 _Anyone can be a father, it takes someone special to be a dad._

Raven curled up, and imagined what her life may have been like if the Doctor had been her real father. Would he have done all the things a loving father would do, like those she reads in the books?

Would he have read her bedtime stories when she was five? Teach her how to swim when she was seven? Hugged her? Loved her? Taught her? Took care of her? Protected her? Scolded her for staying out too late? Being overly protective if she brought a boy home with her? Maybe she wouldn't be as cold, closed, or abrasive with people? Maybe she'd even have actual friends!?

 _That's not your life._ The voice reminded her.

 _But it's the life I want, and I want it so badly. I want a daddy, I want a family, I want friends, I want to be normal._ Her semi-conscious mind insisted.

 _I want my daddy!_ Said the voice of something she wasn't used to hearing anymore, and it had never uttered that thought before, ever. The voice was of her inner child. _Where is my daddy? I want my daddy! I will find you daddy._

 _Doctor! He's the Doctor, not daddy, never daddy!_

 _But I want my daddy!_

 _SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!_

The voices and thoughts kept coming as she teetered on the edge of sleep.

Something brought her back to consciousness and her mind settled again. All thoughts from her inner selves were squashed under her consciousness. Especially any thoughts relating to a 'daddy'.

* * *

Movement, and Raven was awake instantly.

Her head rose and she looked around. It was still dark, but she could sense something was out there.

The Impostor was still sound asleep, snoring a little. Alice was sleeping with her head up against a big mushroom.

Barriss? Where was Barriss?!

Not wanting to wake the others, least of all the Impostor, Raven got to her feet and reached out to sense the fictional female space monk.

She found her. Barriss wasn't very far away. She was standing in a ray of moonlight looking up into the night sky. A sad look on her face.

Raven did what she's good at. Stand in the shadows and creepily watch. The expression on Barriss's face suggested she was in turmoil inside her own mind.

 _Ha! Ameture._ Raven thought, rather hypocritically.

"I know you're there, you might as well come out." Barriss said.

 _Who's she talking to?!_ Raven wondered. _Is she about to betray us?_ She waited, and waited for this new person to step out. But she couldn't sense anyone else.

"Raven?" Barriss asked, "Do you prefer to stalk me?"

 _Oh, she meant me. Of course, she has her own freaky powers._

Raven stepped from the darkness and into the moon light.

"What are you doing?" Raven asked accusingly.

"I couldn't sleep. You?" Barriss said.

"I couldn't sleep, because of you." Raven said, again accusingly.

"I was a little too noisey, I'm sorry." She said calmly and she looked up into the stars. "Raven, do you know what its like to be hated?"

"More than you could understand." Raven said, trying to close the door on any conversation between them.

"Hated for things out of your control?" Barriss continued, "Hated for what some author made you do?"

"Kinda." Raven said. She wanted to shrug, but she didn't.

"Why do you hate me?" Barriss asked, "I thought we were friends, but you've developed a dislike for me."

"I hate a lot of people, don't take it so personally." Raven added flatly.

"Its more than that though, you're sabotaging me. What am I doing wrong? Please, tell me, so I might address it."

 _'Over the years I noticed their attitude towards me was gradually shifting, becoming more cold. I didn't know if I did something wrong in the past, and they wouldn't tell me so I could make it right. It just kept getting worse and worse. Sometimes I thought they enjoyed me squirming, trying to figure out what I was doing wrong.'_

Those words came into Raven's head. They were Kasey's words, they were words he'd said in distress as his mind died; and he was talking about the kind of people who gradually pushed him to the brink of suicide; and it's what Raven realised she was doing right now.

Raven swallowed, her armour had dropped for a second, but Barriss didn't notice.

What was the reason she hated Barriss? She just didn't like the way Barriss interacted with the Doctor. _No, No, No, that was not the reason, that reason is silly._ Her mind insisted. But it was true.

"I've been meditating on what you said to me when we fought the World Turtle." Barriss said, "You're jealous of my fascination with the Doctor, and his with me and my fellow fictions."

"What utter shit." Raven dismissed, but she'd put her finger right on it.

"I dream what I think you dream about, and the Doctor just seemed so nice and understanding." Barriss said. "Not judgemental, nor hateful. He sees to the core of people and can see the turmoil underneath."

Raven again didn't speak. Hearing Barriss made her sound more and more like Raven, and she hated that. She didn't like the idea of there being another person like her, because it suggested there was a person out there who was like her, but better than her. Someone more deserving of the Doctor.

 _I'm not sure I even deserve him in my life._ She'd once admitted to Kasey, and she feared someone more deserving may come along.

"I'm wary of you." Raven said slowly, "Because I know what you did to your own kind. Even I never attacked my own people."

"Oh, so you know about that, too." Barriss sighed, "I'm not proud of it. In fact, I am ashamed of it."

"Save it." Raven cut across her sharply.

"But I am." She said, "It was something I had no choice in. My reasoning behind it wasn't very well established. I was just a minor character, I was useful to a key part of someone else's character development. The writers made me betray my best friend, because they had to get Ahsoka from point A to point B. But it was never my character before then, before I was a lot like you. Smart, a drive to prove myself, sarcastic, with a few darker tendencies. But I just wasn't interesting enough to develop, to the writers at least." Her sad tone gained an edge. "The part of my character that made me betray my best friend wasn't properly established. So I rejected it. I reject it!"

Raven stood watching with an expressionless face, her hood over her head still. Her image that of a person casting judgement on a soul and she was not finding Barriss's case too favourable.

"I'm not a monster, I don't want to be a monster." _Whoa!_ Those words echoed into Raven's core and she felt her cold mask slip a little. "But that one action defines me now. No matter what I do, my character will be hated. Ironic though, that it's the combined hate which spawned me to life in this world, yet I reject the very moment that caused me to manifest."

Barriss looked up at the stars and she clasped her hands together.

"Some days I prefer that episode never aired. I wish I'd never came into existence, and some days I wish I could leave existence altogether. But only the continued hate keeps me here."

Raven's mouth shifted, her emotions stirred up. The goth girl could empathise with a lot of that, but she just didn't want to. Barriss was a mirror of her, and she found her infinitely irritating for it.

Now the silence was just awkward.

 _Say something- say something- say something- say something._ Her mind kept telling her.

"You're..." She paused again, "... it's good that you regret what you did. But you're looking for sympathy from the wrong person. I have none to give. I am a heartless monster." Raven sighed, she hated herself for what she was about to say. "But you're not. You're a better person than I ever could be." Raven swallowed. "I'm sorry people hate you for one, big mistake. But that's what the world is like. One big mistake, that's all it takes, and it colours you, forever."

"What was your 'Big Mistake'?" Barriss asked. Raven was caught off guard, but decided to answer the question.

"I was born to the wrong person." She said mysteriously.

"But that's a horrid reason to hate someone." Barriss interjected. "You were hated before you were even born?!"

"Tell me about it." Raven sighed. "It's peoples free choice to hate me if they want. I can't stop them, and it'd be wrong for me to force them to stop." Raven swallowed again. "Sometimes all we can do afterwards is just not be the person they think we are, and hope our sins can be forgiven."

"But what if the writers try to make me utterly hateful and evil. A villain?" Barriss said, her voice cracking, "I'll have no choice but to become how the public sees me."

"That I can't answer." Raven shrugged. "It's a good thing you're fictional and not a real person."

"But I am a real person!" Barriss said, "I want to be a real person."

"Not possible." Raven said, rather coldly. "You were spawned from a book. Ultimately you are a slave to the fiction that is written and the people who read about you."

"You must be so lucky." Barriss said.

"Why?"

"You can choose to not be what people write about you. You are free." Barriss said sadly, "I have to become what is written about me. No matter how much I evolve in here, it could all be wiped out with a few strokes of a pen." Barriss now swallowed, "And that scares me."

"I... I'm sorry." Raven said quietly. "But I don't see how I can help you."

Raven turned around and walked back into the shadows and back into camp, leaving Barriss to stand in the ray of moon light.

As Raven made herself comfortable on the ground her mind said.

 _'You can choose to not be what people write about you? You are free.' She says! Ha!_ Her mind scoffed. _Freedom, what is that? My destiny is already written, and I have no choice but to become the thing my father has written for me._

Raven had one final thought as she fell asleep.

 _But I wish it wasn't written so..._

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** I never planned for Barriss and Raven to empathise like this, but I quickly realised how similar their own plights might be.


	53. Chapter 52, the Head-Mistress

**Authors notes: 24/07/2019** I've made some small edits to chapter 1, adding a scene where Raven helps out a small Azarathian monk being bullied by more powerful monks. Of course, her help is taken the wrong way. I've added this to make her come across as more sympathetic, so the readers know from the start that Raven is good at heart, but her harsh treatment hardened her.

Small edits to chapter 14, adding in a scene where Raven watches the Doctor battle Sutekh the destroyer, something I thought would've been important for Raven to actually see if she was going to properly trust the Doctor.

Cheers and enjoy the new chapter.

* * *

 **Chapter 52**

 **The Head-Mistress**

Rachel stretched her fingers as she finished the update to her story. After proof reading and double checking the spelling she uploaded it all.

She had taken a break from being creative for a few weeks and just wrote what she had previously plotted out in more detail. Now the story was now completely caught up.

Weird, it didn't feel like a week had passed at all.

Dolores, for the past few weeks, had done her best to be as annoying as possible. Attempting to get Rachel in trouble somehow, either by goading her into attacking, or spreading rumours and lies about her. It was kind of infuriating, but as long as Rachel had her four friends the big bitch could throw what she liked at the goth girl.

The only accusation which seemed to gain some traction among people is when Dolores claimed Rachel was trying to shame Dolores for being fat. As far as Rachel was concerned, Dolores had tried to shame Rachel for being skinny and pale. So fair was fair.

Some students began to murmur and give her looks. But Rachel didn't care.

Her devil may care attitude did seem to spark attention not only from people wanting to protect Dolores, but also from some of the boys who seemed to find her attitude appealing and attractive. But Rachel gently pushed them away. She had no interest in any of them. Weirdly, this seem to spark something in Garfield as he too did his best to chase unwanted boys away from her. Sometimes rather aggressively. What was suddenly up with him?!

Rachel knew all too well what would happen with boys. They'd date, they'd find her creepy and repulsive, and they'd kick her to the curb or sell her down the river to maintain their social image.

God, Rachel hated social media. To her it seemed to turn everyone into would-be-celebrities, all falling over each other to make their online social life more interesting than it actually was. Put up a false image of being socially aware, when they just wanted that 'tick', that 'like', that 'heart', that 'thumbs up'.

True, Rachel did have a social media account, but she didn't post that much on it.

Suddenly, Rachels phone buzzed and she picked it up.

"Hi Stell," Rachel said into her phone. "What's up?"

"Hi, Friend Rachel." Stella said, sounding a little unsure.

"Something wrong?" Rachel asked.

"You... you didn't make that picture of Dolores did you?" Stella asked.

"What picture?"

Stella sent Rachel a picture through social media. It was a picture of a really big, and bulky woman holding a fried chicken drumstick aloft, and with Dolores head stuck on the front. The pose of the head made it look like Dolores was staring at the drum stick in deep hunger.

Rachel had to fight back a laugh. In fact, no, forget fighting it back. Rachel burst out laughing.

"I wish I could claim credit for it. But no." Rachel said.

"Dolores is rather upset by it. She's posted a long rant about it, about how you created it."

"Stella, I don't have the skill to make this." Rachel said back. "You know art isn't my thing."

"But still, a lot of her friends are very upset with you."

"Hey, did anyone know about this picture before Dolores posted it up?" Rachel asked, suspicion in her voice.

"Umm... by the sound of it, nobody knew about it." Stella answered.

"So Dolores is embarrassed by something, and she doesn't want it spreading. What's the logical thing to do?" Rachel asked and answered in sarcasm, "Make a post about it and tell the whole wide world that it exists."

"What are you saying, friend Rachel?" Stella asked.

"I think she made that thing herself." Rachel sighed, "And is trying to blame it on me."

"But it's signed 'Rachel Roth'." Stella said. Indeed the image had been signed as Rachel Roth, but clearly not by Rachel Roth, because no way was that her handwriting.

"Stella, that's not my handwriting; and would I be so stupid enough to sign my name to it?" God, Stella could be so naive at times.

"I apologise for doubting you, friend Rachel." Stella replied.

"Don't mention it. I'm not mad, but she's really pushing this on thick."

"What could we have done to offend her so?" Stella asked.

"Not treating her like gods gift to the Earth, I'm guessing." Rachel shrugged, "She gravitated towards us and we pretty much rejected her."

"Perhaps, if we invited her into our friend group..." Rachel cut across Stella before she finished that.

"No." Rachel said firmly, "She doesn't want to be 'a part' of our group, I think she wants to lead it."

"But friend Dolores..." Friend Dolores? "She told me you're mocking her with your story. That the Impostor Doctor character is based on her."

"I published the chapter that introduces her a full ten minutes after first meeting her, and it was well over a few thousand words long! Are you telling me I got her character down to a T and wrote a couple of chapters around her in the first ten minutes after meeting? If there are similarities, then it's a coincidence." Rachel sighed. She was going to base the Mistress of the Land of Fiction on Dolores. So the Big Bitch wasn't too far off with her assumption that she was going to be in the story, but it wasn't as the Impostor. "I think she sees herself in that character, and doesn't like how she's being treated as the bad guy."

"But perhaps..." But Rachel cut Stella off.

"I'm not changing the story just because some bitch sees some of herself in the bad guy character." Rachel fumed, "Tell her if she doesn't like it, then she doesn't have to read it. But the Impostor Doctor is not based on her. Period!"

Rachel took a deep breath to regain self control. She'd never gotten this angry before.

"Oh, friend Rachel." Stella said suddenly. "I must go, I'm afraid the power has just cut off. I shall need to search for a light. We shall talk in school."

"Yeah, bye Stell" And with that Stella hung up.

* * *

Before school officially started Rachel seemed to be in trouble.

She'd barely said hello to her friends when Rachel was told by one of the teachers to go see the Head-Mistress. She'd given the teacher a bit of an attitude before waving to her friends and motioning to the teacher she was following. Rachel mimed that she'd see them later as she rounded the corner.

When she arrived at the Head-Mistresses office it sounded like she was in some discussion which was getting rather heated.

"Your methods, are exceedingly heavy handed, Head-Mistress!" That sounded like Doctor Pertwee, the deputy Head.

"They are the only way we can ensure our zero tolerance policy is met!" That was the stern voice of the Head-Mistress.

"Zero Tolerance policy! Does it not matter to you the heavy-handedness of your methods might actually encourage such behaviour? After all, why bother causing trouble yourself if you can con the teacher do it for you?!" Doctor Pertwee fumed.

"What are you talking about?"

"Damn it all, woman!" Doctor Pertwee shouted, thumping his fist on something hard. Possibly the desk.

"Don't take that tone with me!" But Doctor Pertwee began talking over her.

"You never leave this room. You've never seen what your rules do to the Children!"

"I know what they do, they make the kids behave!" The Head-Mistress said back.

"Balderdash. my dear!" Doctor Pertwee said sharply. "They no more work than the centrist model of the solar system! They act like children because they are children. They are programmed at birth to find flaws in systems they can use to their advantage, its part of their survival programming, all it takes is an immoral mind with no principles to exploit them. Not all accused persons are automatically guilty, nor should they be treated such."

"Are you suggesting the teachers are bullies?" The Head-Mistress asked.

"No, of course not!" Doctor Pertwee said sharply before adding, "Not all of them at least. But you've honestly never known a child try to get someone else in trouble by pretending to be hurt, wounded or offended? For no other reason than, because its been made so easy to do?"

"I doubt those occurrences happen often." the Head-Mistress dismissed.

"But they happen, that is the point!" Doctor Pertwee cut her off. "What about the person getting unjustly punished just so you can claim this 'zero tolerance' message of yours? You're not inspiring respect of your authority, you'll create a distrust for all authority." Doctor Pertwee paused, before adding, "And frankly with your behaviour and your willingness to act despite your limited scope of the problem, I can honestly see why."

Rachel had to take a second to unpack that before she realised Doctor Pertwee had just verbally swiped at the Head-Mistress. The goth girl now suddenly had greater respect for Doctor Pertwee by standing up to that old crone.

"They don't happen often enough for us to be concerned with." the Head-Mistress, again, dismissed.

"Oh, of course not," Doctor Pertwee sighed, "little Malfoys never get reported in Government statistics, do they." Did Doctor Pertwee have a bad experience at school for him to be arguing this point so strongly? Rachel wondered.

"What would you have me do? Let them run around attacking whoever they like?" The Head-Mistress said as if this was the logical opposite of what she was trying to do.

"What about dealing with them on a case by case basis?" Doctor Pertwee suggested as if it was obvious, "The system you are looking at is impossible at achieving the ends. But then, I guess the ends you are celebrating are not the ends you are pursuing!"

"The studies prove this works." The Head-Mistress insisted

"They most certainly do not!" Doctor Pertwee argued back.

"I know they're difficult to understand." The Head-Mistress said, rather patronisingly. "If you were a scientist you'd understand this."

"'IF' I were a scientist!" Doctor Pertwee fumed, "Might I remind you that I am a scientist! And I have been for many centuries!"

"What are you complaining about? The school is making headlines for its progressive stance against bullying! Think of the Government investment."

"I honestly think that's all that you think about." Doctor Pertwee sighed now as he simmered down. "Teaching the children doesn't matter. But Government investment is. They can pay through the nose to fix the problem or reward a solution, but the one thing they can't change is the corruption at its heart."

"If you are quite finished, Doctor Pertwee. I do have work to do."

The Head-Mistress' door flew open and Doctor Pertwee stepped out, resplendent in his smoking jacket and long opera cloak. His feathers looked ruffled and he stamped past Rachel without acknowledging her existence.

"Miss Roth, I want to see you now." Said the voice of the Head-Mistress.

Rachel approached the door and she began to get a pang of anxiety. She hated the Head-Mistress. She absolutely loathed her. So much so that in her story she'd based a monk from Azarath on her. One who was supposed to be next in line to lead the order after Azars passing, and one who greatly disliked Raven. The Head-Mistress greatly disliked Rachel, Rachel knew it, so whatever the Mistress wanted of Rachel, doubtful it was going to be from a position of understanding, more from a position of "I'm in charge, do as I say."

Rachel entered the office. It was all prim, neat and tidy. The Head-Mistress, the wizen old crone, dressed resplendently in her grey business suit, sat behind her big desk and motioned for Rachel to sit down.

Despite being present the Head-Mistress continued working at a lap-top, totally relaxed. She did not speak to Rachel at all.

Rachel knew what she was doing. This was a tactic to break the person she wanted to talk to. To bask in the Head-Mistresses social power in this situation. But Rachel didn't care. She relaxed. What could the Head-Mistress do that could possibly hurt her?

The older woman finished what she was typing and removed her wiry glasses to give Rachel her full attention.

"Do you know why you're here?" She asked.

"Because you sent for me." Rachel said with disinterest.

"You're here, young lady," she said with an edge, "because we've had a number of complaints about you and your gang bullying fellow students."

"Gang? Bullying?" Rachel questioned quietly. Rachel was relaxed, but was on guard with her words in case she said something which could be willingly misinterpreted.

"Yes. The reports in the last few weeks are through the roof!" The Head-Mistress said.

"All sent by the same 'concerned individual'?" Rachel guessed, with a bored tone.

"All were sent anonymously." The Head-Mistress dismissed.

"Same handwriting?" Rachel asked.

"They were sent electronically."

"Of course. Same sentence structure and spelling?" Rachel said, the more she questioned, the more the Head-Mistress got frustrated.

"We're here to discuss your behaviour!" she said testily.

"Of course we are." Rachel dismissed, "You have to take all accusations seriously with zero tolerance, and never question if they are real."

"Are you suggesting these accusations are fake?" The Head-Mistress raised an eyebrow. Something Rachel liked to think Raven got from the Head-Mistresses Azarath Monk counterpart in the story.

"In so much that they tell only one side of a complicated story." Rachel said.

"I don't think she'd lie about this." The Head-Mistress looked at Rachel intensely.

"Ah, so it is one person." Rachel realised, and the Head-Mistresses frown went even deeper and her eyes became more piercing like they could see into Rachel's soul. Unfortunately, if they could she'd be able to see Rachel spoke the truth.

"I don't know what feud you have with her." The old crone began.

"I never picked her out for a feud." Rachel corrected.

"I don't care what feud you have with her, but I want you to stop it!" The Old Crone hissed in a low, cold tone.

"As long as she stays away from me and my friends." Rachel said back, more in control than the older woman sounded.

The Head-Mistress then got up, and moved to go out her door. She pointed at Rachel and said, "You stay there," and she went outside.

She was back quite quickly leading a tearful Dolores into the room with her and they both sat down, Dolores in a chair next to Rachel, the Head-Mistress back behind her desk.

"As you can see, Dolores is very upset." The old bag said.

"What, you want me to give her jelly babies and a hug?" Rachel answered and turned to Dolores, "Leave - us - alone."

"I want you to leave her alone!" The Head-Mistress hissed firmly.

"Not possible, I don't seek her out."

"Yes she does." Dolores said through fake tears. "I was... I was... I..."

"No need to say anything, Dolores." The Head-Mistress said soothing. Rachel rolled her eyes at this.

"I want a restraining order on her, immediately." Rachel said.

"She'll only come after me and claim I violated it." Dolores suddenly said.

"So you acknowledge a way to twist the rules to suit you." Rachel fired back coolly.

"Enough, the pair of you!" Both girls fell silent. "I think you should apologise to each other." Both girls began to protest. "I don't care. Whatever you did to wrong each other I want it sorted now."

"Gladly." Dolores said, taking the lead. "I'm sorry Rachel, I don't know what I did to offend you, but I am truly sorry."

Rachel didn't buy it for one moment, something in those eyes told Rachel that Dolores had no idea what she did, but whatever it was the bitch felt it was somehow justified. Well, two could play that game.

"Then I'm sorry. I don't know what it is about me that offends you so." Rachel said coldly, then looked at Dolores with intensity, "But whatever friction there is between us. I want... I would like it to stop, now."

"Rachel's apology didn't sound sincere, miss." Dolores said, pointing at her.

"What do you want, a parade in your honour?" Rachel sighed.

"Enough." The Head-Mistress cut across. "Now we have another matter." She turned to Rachel. "That thing you write on the internet. The Lost Child of Azurath."

"Azarath." Rachel corrected, but the Head-Mistress plowed on.

"The story. You've written a character which Dolores finds upsetting."

 _Oh for god sake!_

"You want me to change the character?" Rachel questioned.

"No, I want you to delete the story and remove it from the internet." The Head-Mistress said.

Rachel looked at the old crone intensely and said one word, firmly, and finally.

"No."

"Excuse me?" The Head-Mistress asked, as if she didn't hear the first time.

"No."

"What do you mean 'no'?"

"It means no." Rachel said simply.

"You're already in hot water." The Head-Mistress said darkly.

"And what I choose to write is not the schools business." Rachel answered back, "Anyway, the... character in question," Rachel felt it best not to name which character, "was written about before I even met Dolores. You can check when that chapter was posted, it was only just after I met Dolores. Unless I'm capable of Time Travel myself, I can't have written all that and got her personality down so quickly."

"Miss, she's lying. The site said she edited those chapters recently. To make the character more like me!" Dolores said.

"You can check previous editions in the archive." Rachel answered, "all changes are logged."

Rachel knew Dolores was preying on the Head-Mistress's ignorance of new technology.

"Be that as it may." The Head-Mistress said, "I think its simpler if you just delete it from the internet."

"You mean 'easier for you'." Rachel countered. "I'm not deleting the whole story just because Dolores thinks the bad guy character in the last few chapters is somehow based on her." Rachel turned back to the old crone, and keeping her tone and voice level Rachel continued. "And I'm certainly not going to delete it because it would be easier for you." The old crone looked utterly livid. "If Dolores doesn't like the story, she has the option not to read it, nor draw attention to the character in question. But she has; she's upset by it and doesn't want people to see it, yet she draws attention to it. Yeah, that's logical."

The Head-Mistress looked like she was about to pop a blood vessel under her cool exterior.

"Either you delete the story, or add Dolores to your social media so she can keep track of this character."

"My social media account is about me, not just the story." Rachel said.

"I don't care. Add Dolores, or you have after-school detention all week." Rachel raised her eye-brow again. That was harsh, very harsh; and all because of that blubbering land whale?

Rachel picked out her phone, connected to the school internet, logged onto social media and did something the teacher wouldn't be expecting.

"There." Rachel said.

"I don't see a friend request." Dolores said.

"Search for me." Rachel answered. After a few seconds Dolores was confused and she looked at Rachel accusingly.

"I can't find her. I'm still blocked!"

"No." Rachel said, failing to hide a small smirk, "I deleted my social media account."

Dolores looked horrified that she'd even do that. "Why?!"

"It was never important to me. I hardly ever used it anyway." Rachel said, not looking Dolores in the eye, she didn't need to. Rachel had check-mated her as far as Rachel was concerned.

"A weeks after school detention, Miss Roth!" The Head-Mistress said, "Now get out!"

"But Miss," Dolores pipped up, "What about the picture!"

"Two weeks after school detention, Miss Roth." The Head-Mistress said, "I hope you'll learn your lesson, now get out."

Rachel gladly got up and left the crying Dolores with the Head-Mistress.

Lesson? That sometimes people with power will do whatever it takes to appease people who screech and cry all the time like big babies, because it's easier than dealing with them and convincing them where 'they' were doing wrong?

That sounded like the lesson.

Perhaps the Head-Mistress just lacked the imagination to think how she was being manipulated by Dolores. Maybe she just didn't care, and thought appeasing her was the quickest way to shut her up.

Rachel would only be too happy to have peace with Dolores. The only problem was Rachel's version of peace wasn't the same as the 'peace' Dolores wanted from her.

Outwardly, Rachel was calm and at peace. Inside, she was raging and seething.

Rachel sighed. Despite her frustration there was something she just couldn't shake. Maybe it was because she was young and not that experienced with how harsh and unjust the world could be. But something about that whole interaction between Rachel, Dolores and the Head-Mistress just felt so unbelievable, as in fake. But what about it was fake she couldn't quite put her finger on. It was as if the whole thing was staged perfectly just to specifically annoy her.

 _It's your imagination._ Rachel's head said.

* * *

Raven was again awoken from her slumber by something. There was movement going on somewhere in the bushes.

Her brain was awake in an instant, ready to sense danger. Looking up into the sky and to the floor there was no sign of the fictions from Gullivers Travels, so it wasn't them.

She sat down, but stayed wary. That's when she noticed there were only two other people here. Barriss and Alice!

Where was the Impostor?!

"Guys, wake up!" She shouted, jolting Barriss and Alice awake. "The Impostor's gone!" They were both up in an instant.

A rushing figure through the bushes told Raven the sound she heard was obviously the Impostor escaping.

Barriss took off after her, Alice quickly ate her biscuits and her form expanded yet again into a giant, while Raven took to the sky to find where the purple, alien woman was. She wasn't that difficult to find.

Raven shot forwards towards her like a bullet, no way was she escaping after everything she'd done.

The Impostor held something in her hands, she pointed and activated it. A laser blast fired out and suddenly some big portal opened and without hesitating nor breaking her stride she lept straight through it!

The portal began to close. But Raven had stopped in midair, arranged her arms into the right positions, said her chimes, focused and cast a black shield to hold the portal open.

Raven landed near the portal with Barriss and Alice landing beside her, Alice was back to her normal size.

"After her!" Raven commanded, and Barriss lept through the portal, followed by Alice. Once the way was clear Raven passed through too allowing the portal to collapse behind her.

They had moved. They weren't in the same place as before. This was a deep, dark jungle setting. Clearly, they had jumped fictions from Gulliver's travels into something else.

"What was that thing the Impostor had?" Barriss asked.

"Looks like some sort of a teleporter." Alice said, "It was like the one the Doctor was trying to repair."

Alice could see it from fifty feet in the air? Odd, because Raven couldn't.

The ground shook, and something pushed its way out of the forest clearing. It swiped its head to the side and knocked the girls to the ground. Slightly dazed, Raven looked up and saw a giant dinosaur standing over them, its jaws coming down ready to snap them in half.

* * *

 **To Be Continued…**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** A bit of a short one this time I know. :P

The debate between Doctor Pertwee and the Mistress I'm a little unsure of. It was written with the intention that not everything is alright with the school; and that the Head-Mistress only cares about the schools prized image and reputation, as long as that remains intact the students could go hang.

I admit updates have becoming less frequent as I've been scratching my head over what to do next. Now I have an idea and an outline of where to go.

Originally, Ed was going to join the girls on this next leg of the story. But as I planned it I found he was only surplus to requirements as he wouldn't have added anything to the story.


	54. Chapter 53, Not so different, perhaps?

**Chapter 53**

 **Not so different, perhaps?**

Raven couldn't focus fast enough to catch the giant jaws of the Dinosaur, and Barriss seemed equally useless with her weaker powers.

But something suddenly sprung up across from the Dinosaur and grabbed it around the neck.

Alice had eaten her biscuits again.

Wrestling with the Dinosaur she forced it to the ground on its side like it was a puppy dog and held it down as it struggled to break free.

Standing up she grabbed the Dinosaur by its hind legs and held its snapping jaws away from her. Comically she proceeded to smack the Dinosaurs hind end with the flat of her hand like she was disciplining a puppy.

When Alice gently put the Dinosaur down it was still aggressive, but it was a warily aggressive, a type of 'don't come near me' aggressive, as it backed away into the trees.

The two hooded girls got to their feet and Barriss waved at Alice a 'thanks'

Raven didn't wave her thanks, not because she didn't appreciate being saved, but because she was scanning the trees for the Imposter.

Raven spotted her purple pointy ears immediately, and Raven was going to cast a spell to trap her when Alice suddenly shouted.

"There she is! Behind that bush!"

 _Damn it, Alice!_

The Imposter bounded out again as Alice reached down for her, but before she could grab the large woman she'd activated her teleporter and passed through another portal.

Raven again caught the shimmering gateway with her powers and once Alice drank her potion and shrank back down all three passed through the portal, Raven being last through.

Again the scene had shifted.

They were in a narrow, white corridor with plenty of doors either side. But the Imposter did not attempt to enter any of them. Personal items were scattered everywhere, things people had dropped in a clear panic.

As the three girls chased the Imposter down the corridor Raven noticed the entire length of it appeared to be tilted downward as if it had been built as a slope. The lights went out, but only briefly. They came back on, and there was the unmistakable sound of protesting metal under a lot of stress.

Bursting through a door the Imposter and the three girls were met with a stream of fast-moving water which washed over their feet and was becoming deeper and deeper.

Raven had a quick flashback to a similar setup she'd sensed inside Kasey's mind-scape, which represented his rising anxiety and depression. Here though there was a big difference. The water was ice cold!

The Imposter pushed past the water and looked back at a grating opposite a staircase briefly before rushing up the stairs.

As the trio of girls arrived they found the reason the Imposter stopped.

The grating wasn't a grating, it was a black, iron gate, which led to a lower floor. It was where the water was coming up from with quite a force, and it was quickly rising higher and higher, and there were two people trapped behind it calling for help.

"Down there, please. The key's, please! They're down there! Help us, please!" They called, pointing just in front of the gate on Raven's side.

Alice didn't stop and ran right up after the Imposter.

Barriss and Raven froze. Raven wanted to get out of this water, her legs were freezing! But Barriss drew her laser sword and attempted to activate it. But it wasn't working. She tipped it up and water fell from its innards. Instead, Barriss leapt into the water and began fishing for the key.

Quickly focusing, Raven called Barriss back away from the gate.

"We have to help them!" Barriss protested.

Raven held up her hand at the gate, "Mind your fingers." and with a swipe of her hand, the gate was crushed to one side as easily as a tin can, freeing the couple.

They burst from the gate and before they could be thanked Raven and Barriss disappeared up the stairs. They could hear the couple following them up the winding stairs, so they were safe at least.

"What fiction is this?!" Raven asked Barriss.

"I don't know. I'm just part of this world, I'm not well-read in it."

The two magic monks caught up with Alice on the deck of what they now knew was a ship. It was pitch dark, the deck was covered in people, and the ship was alarmingly tilted forwards and a little to the left.

Almost everyone was wearing tuxedo-like attire, but the Imposters pointy ears and green hair made her stand out. Instantly they were on her heels, pushing past the crowd of people. In the air, Raven could hear a string band playing music from the other side of the ship.

The crowd thinned and they saw the Imposter run towards the lifeboat that was just being lowered.

Now Raven understood, this ship was sinking!

The large Imposter Doctor stopped at a lifeboat, and despite there being plenty of room for her she forcibly dragged a middle-aged man from the boat and onto the deck. Where she proceeded to thump him in the face a couple of times.

The crew lowering the lifeboat were too stunned at the sight to do anything at first. That was until the crewmember giving commands drew a revolver.

She then leapt into the lifeboat and the crew lowering the boat lost their grip. The boat sharply impacted the water and nearly rolled over onto its side putting the rest of the passengers in danger. But it levelled out.

The three girls made it to the edge of the deck just too late as the lifeboat began to float away.

The middle-aged man on the floor got to his feet nursing a bloody nose.

"Are you alright, Mister Ismay, sir?" asked one of the crew members.

"Yes, yes. Quite alright, quite alright." He sounded like a defeated, broken man as he looked at the floating lifeboat, and then down at the waterline, and up at one of the ships massive four funnels. "Perhaps it is better if I take my chances with all the other men."

Wrapping himself up in his coat he slowly, without purpose, walked aft towards the crowd.

"But sir, there are still the collapsible boats! Sir! Sir!" But the man didn't reply, he looked like he was well aware he was walking to his doom.

Raven was aware this was happening, but her attention was more focused on the Imposter. She was fiddling with that device of hers. Pointing it down and trying to activate it. She rubbed the side and shook it.

Was it broken? Or perhaps it needed to recharge between uses?

"If you young ladies would like to stay back." The crew said, ushering them back and giving all three a curious look because of their attire. "We shall free the collapsible boat and have you away in no time."

Raven had no intention of waiting. Waving her hands a large black disk appeared at their feet and Raven leapt up on top. Alice and Barriss following her lead. The disk sped forwards after the Imposter. Her three eyes grew in panic at their approach and she frantically smacked the device trying to get it to work.

Suddenly the Imposter appeared to fall into the hull of the boat, much to the shock of the people around her. Her portal gun had gone off.

Raven's disk carried the three two the portal and they jumped off and into the boat so Raven could focus her powers on keeping the portal open. Alice and Barriss jumped through.

A crash caught Raven's attention and she looked back briefly to see the massive ship lurch forwards. It was sinking rapidly now and the forward most funnel had collapsed. The people on board were screaming.

Raven was momentarily transfixed by the sight, but mostly the screams. There didn't appear to be any lifeboats left and the deck was still swamped with people. All those screams. Screams of people now certain they were going to die. Screams like the ones she'd seen in her future. The ones she'd cause.

Raven shook her head, refocused, and dived into the portal after Alice and Barriss.

When Raven next emerged it was to the sight of three massive creatures, technically four. Three were trolls, as tall as a house and sitting around a campfire in a forest. One had the Imposter in its hands dangling from her leg. The fourth giant creature was Alice, trying to wrestle one of the trolls. Barriss, with the loss of her laser sword, was attempting to toss boulders and dead trees at the other troll with her powers.

"OW!" said a new voice as Raven took a step forward. She was surrounded by about a dozen very hairy, very short men, all were tied up and lying on the floor. Dwarves?!

Raven knew this fiction, she'd read it before, and she knew what happened next. The sky was becoming quite light indicating sunrise.

Any minute a wizard would appear and break a boulder allowing the morning sunlight to shine on the trolls and turn them to stone. But Raven was impatient.

She focused her powers on the boulder, it was shrouded in darkness but breaking it appeared to be a problem. This was so easy when she was angry.

 _Angry?! Get angry!_

Raven thought of all the humiliation, trauma and bullying she'd received at the Temple in Azarath. The misery of being judged. The frustration that they wouldn't let her be anything else but a monster. The fact that the Mistress and the Imposter were selfishly trying to take away her only friend in the universe and replace him with that poor excuse of a creature!

It just made her so angry!

So angry that not only did she split the rock. She shattered it to dust.

Sunlight poured into the clearing, to the horror of the trolls as one by one, like a spreading scab, their entire bodies turned to stone. Frozen forever in a single pose of desperation.

A shiver went up Raven's spine as she watched it, and it made the anger drain away.

Where the boulder had been standing there now stood a tall, long-bearded, dishevelled and greatly bemused wizard.

The Imposter was trapped in the stone trolls hand, and she still fiddled with the controls on her portal gun. Before Raven could call it to her the gun went off and the Imposter fell from the trolls grasp and down into another fiction.

Again, Raven held the portal open.

Alice shrank back down to size and together with Barriss and Raven, they followed the Imposter.

What next began was a desperate chase through several fictions Raven had no interest nor desire to comprehend.

An African setting with animals of all species gathered around a mass of rocks, with a monkey holding aloft a lion cub.

A city setting, where a large, muscley, bulky, and very angry, green man fought another man in a similarly large, bulky, red suit of mechanical armour.

"That Witch is messing with your head!" The man in the suit said. "You are Bruce Banner!"

The green man roared with rage.

"Okay, got it, don't mention puny Banner." The man in the suit said coolly.

Next setting was cartoony and an old man with wild hair wearing a lab-coat with a small boy in a yellow shirt watched bemused as a big, purple alien woman appeared through one portal and passed into another. Followed by three other girls.

"Rick, wha... what just happened?!"

"Geez Morty, do I have to explain everything to you?"

"But.. but I..."

"Honestly Morty, it's so simple, I don't want to insult your intelligence by having to spell it out for you."

The next fiction was in a dark looking throne room, and two people fought with laser swords similar to Barriss's, except they were green and red. Both were dressed in black, but the one with the red sword was quite tall and wearing armour.

The two were about to strike at each other when the Imposter, followed by Barriss, Alice and Raven flew between them. The two warriors broke off briefly to watch the sight. The two looked back at each other as a moment of 'What the hell?' passed between them, and they began fighting again.

"Isn't that your fiction?" Alice asked Barriss.

"Yes, much later in the cannon than my place." Barriss huffed, "Typical, Anakin falls to the dark side and people love what he becomes!"

Again they passed through another portal and into the next fiction.

Two weirdly animated cartoon characters were fighting each other. Both with big spikey hair. One short with a tail, the other tall wearing an orange karate suit.

Raven didn't mentally process what was happening, she remained focused on the Imposter. _How could someone so big be so quick?!_

The next fiction the Imposter was running with a bunch of teens and a large dog, running away from some creepy monster creature, of which the female trio ran with, in pursuit of their quarry.

Finally, the Imposter slipped up.

They emerged into the grimy deck of some badly looked after vessel. They flew down some narrow stairs and emerged into a room with a table and chairs. Around the table sat one robot with a funny, angular head; and three men, one with large incisors who was sharply dressed, one with an H on his forehead, and a round-faced man in badly stained overalls.

"What the Smeg is going on?!" The round-faced man exclaimed as the Imposter finally ran out of places to run. This place was a very small space vessel. She'd wandered into the small cockpit and now there was no place to go.

Before the Imposter could activate her portal gun again it was finally snatched from her hands and it sailed into Raven's waiting palm.

"Oh great, we're being invaded by a science fiction convention!" said the man with the H on his forehead. His jape was followed by laughter in the air that none of the other men seemed to notice.

"I suggest we open diplomatic negotiations before breaking out the Bazookoids." Said the robot with an upper class, Canadian accent. He approached and had the air of a butler about him. "Would you like me to do your laundry for you, Misses."

"KRYTERS!" Said the round face man, pulling the robot back.

"I'm sorry sir, but my dust sensors are just going off the charts!" Said the robot, now sounding less like a butler and more like a stressed house-wife. "I'm just so happy to see new clothes to wash, clean, press and iron. It's like Christmas came early, sir."

"Leave this to me!" The man with the H said, stepping up to the door. "Now see here." He said, nervously bouncing a little on the tips of his toes. "I am senior technician, acting Officer Arnold J. Rimmer of the Jupiter Mining Corporation transport vehicle Starbug. By boarding this vessel you have instigated an act of war!" He paused. Then proceeded to lift his hands up. "Therefore we surrender, totally and without condition."

The round-faced man laughed. "Rimmer, you've got a longer yellow streak than a stampede of diuretic camels!"

"Barriss, Alice." Raven said, "Deal with those four back there." The Imposter looked at them nervously. The three-eyed girl could not look at Raven and instead kept glancing at Barriss and Alice as if for protection. Raven's eyes for once became totally black as the frustration of the past few days started to bubble up. "We're both going to have a little chat."

Barriss and Alice left the cockpit and Raven closed the doors with her powers.

Raven licked her now sharp teeth. She wasn't ashamed for what she was about to do to the Imposter. As far as she was concerned the Imposter deserved it. All of it.

"You've made me lose one of my favourite, most cherished possessions, again." Raven said coldly and creepily. The Imposter froze, imprisoned in dark energy. "Since you want to take the Doctor's place so badly, you also take his place as my toy." She smirked evilly, "and you'll make a perfect voodoo doll."

Mentally Raven plucked at one of the Imposters chakra points, if plucked correctly they could cause massive amounts of pain, and it certainly did for the Imposter. "Ever heard of Chakra torture? The body has several energy centres like the heart, brain and genitals." Raven came close to the Imposter Doctor. "Chakra torture probes at these energy centres. The point is to cause the maximum amount of pain." Raven's eyes stared down into the Imposters. "Whilst keeping the victim alive for as long as possible." Raven let that sink in for a second. "Since you're just fiction, I'm willing to bet you'll be more robust than the average person." Raven probed again and the Imposter shrieked.

"Stop, I'll talk, I'll talk!" The Imposter cried.

Raven rested her hand at the side of the Imposters head and gently stroked her face, like a child with a toy; and like a snake, Raven replied, "I know you will." Raven rested her hand on the Imposters chest, fingers splayed. "But I still want to practice." She pressed her sharp nails into the Imposters chest through her shirt. "Let's see how many hearts you have, self-proclaimed Time Lord."

The Imposter did and unDoctor like thing in the circumstances. She fainted.

 _Shit, I overdid it._ Her mind said, but her mouth said. "Oh," she cooed, "this isn't as fun when they're unconscious!"

Raven instantly dropped her powers all together.

 _Were you really going to torture her?!_

 _I was really tempted._

 _It's more fun to scare people and watch them squirm like worms._

* * *

"You suck"

"You should delete this story."

"Kill yourself, you freak."

"You're a horrid, sick person for attacking Dolores like this."

"Dolores = The Imposter. Rachel is a bully! Rachel being 'Raven Daughter of Trigon's' real name!"

Rachel was reading the reviews on her story. She'd suddenly had a huge influx of reviews. Most were posted on the very first page, but all were just aimed at Rachel.

"The author of this story is a big bully, don't subscribe or read her stories. Take a stance against bullying. Point and shame her!"

A lot of these she just skimmed over. If they were less than a sentence she just ignored them.

Every now and then she'd come across a real, proper review.

"I enjoyed this story. I love the interaction with Raven and the Doctor. Not to make it sound personal, but it's similar to my own relationship with my estranged father. But we're patching things up. Raven has to be one of my favourite characters. You've really created something special here. Please continue it. Don't listen to these harsh comments. They clearly haven't read any of it at all."

Then there were reviews by people who really had too much free time on their hands.

"This story sucks. I've read all of it and Raven is such a sick, twisted creature. Is it any wonder she was bullied if she's this blunt with people. You're clearly blaming victims of her terror if you're trying to make people sympathetic to her. I feel no sympathy at all. Usually, I wouldn't hit a girl, but if I met Raven I'd beat her to within an inch of her life and I'd..."

Rachel refused to read any more. It was all vulgar and disgusting.

"I prefer the Imposter Doctor, she should be the Doctor instead now. It's about time we had a female at the controls of the TARDIS."

 _About time?_ Rachel had only been writing the story for the last few years and the only Doctor she'd described in the TARDIS was the 8th.

Rachel found a lot of these posts amusing, she didn't know why, she just did.

She did consider replying to some of these comments with a smart-arse remark. Rachel felt a pang of pleasure at the thought of Dolores and her mob seething in rage that their comments didn't even shake her. But she refrained for a few reasons.

For one, it might encourage them to up the stakes until they found something that really did bother her, and when they found it, they'd attack that mercilessly.

Second thing was, these people were clearly passionate about doing the 'right thing.' But it's just a shame that their passion makes them jump at shadows, or where-ever a manipulative little bitch pointed and screamed 'bully!'

Perhaps it's better to just not give it her attention.

In the mass of troll reviews there were plenty of proper reviews. Some by regular readers of the story. The rest were posted as anonymous reviewers. Some gave criticism, but none of it was harsh, and none had any reference to herself or Dolores. But these reviews were islands in a sea of harsher comments.

"This story is written by a horrid person using her writing to bully a friend of mine." Proclaimed another, "please read the story 'Fighting the Good Fight' by Dolores, linked here." The link didn't appear, the server did not allow links outside of the site to prevent spam. "At least she uses her real name instead of hiding behind a false one, RACHEL!"

 _Dolores is writing her own story?_

Curiously, Rachel typed that name and author into a search engine and quickly found the story.

Good god! The site was covered with ads and pop-ups, it was ridiculous!

Plot: Angelica is a lovely sweet girl who just wants the world to be at peace. However, the school bullies led by Rachel Roth seek nothing but to provoke her. Follow Angelica's adventures as she cunningly outsmarts Rachel's gang at every turn in these comical, funny and heartwarming writings based on a true story.

 _Oh brother!_ Rachel rolled her eyes. _Dolores cannot be for real?_

Out of curiosity, Rachel decided to read a little bit of the story. She skipped ahead to a chapter where she knew her counterpart would be introduced.

* * *

'She was apprehensive about making friends. After all, Angelica was in a strange place with no people she knew at all. She'd already said hello and everyone pulled their chairs in, in a rather unwelcoming fashion. The only person who didn't was the odd-looking goth girl in the corner, who seemed more preoccupied with her laptop.

 _A kindred spirit perhaps,_ Angelica thought, and she approached the girl and lent over to read what she was writing. It looked to be science fantasy. Angelica loved science fantasy. Professor X, Star Trek, Star Wars were just some of her favourites.'

* * *

 _Okay, maybe this won't be so bad._ Rachel briefly thought. _Perhaps she sees things in a different way to me. Maybe this will shed some light on her behaviour._

* * *

The goth girl suddenly noticed Angelica behind her. "What do you want?" She bit, rather harshly.

"I'm just reading what you're writing. I love science fiction." Angelica said.

"Thanks, I guess." The goth girl shrugged, but her eyes had the look of aggression to them.

* * *

 _Is that true?_ Rachel wondered. _Do my eyes sometimes look aggressive?_

* * *

"I have some ideas for stories. Would you like to hear them?!" Angelica asked. She had so many ideas for stories. A lot of them dealing with things she was most passionate about. Acceptance, diversity, anti-bullying, smashing of oppressive systems that keep people down, achieving equality in the world. Surely, she and this girl would be the best of friends and achieve many things together.

But Rachels reply came.

"Piss off, fatty!"

* * *

 _Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! I never said that to her!_

* * *

"What? Why did you say that? You don't even know what I want you to write."

"I don't take requests. I'm not trying to be your friend. This is my story." The goth girl said in reply.

"You don't have to be so nasty about it!" Angelica scolded.

"What are you going to do about it?!" the skinny Goth Girl fired back, "Go back to whatever school you came from. Preferably Fat Camp!"

* * *

Rachel could not believe what she was reading. Could Dolores be this delusional? Or was she doing this deliberately?

Skipping ahead she found several instances where the interaction with Angelica/Dolores and Rachel was changed so Angelica came out as the victor. In every instance, it was Rachel's counterpart who had egg on her face, and Angelica/Dolores walked away happily.

Rachel decided to do what Dolores was incapable of doing. Refused to read any more and forget all about it.

Skipping back to the first few chapters Rachel had some hope of gleaning some information about Dolores. After all, when Rachel wrote for Raven she kind of based her loosely on herself.

As Rachel read on and found out more about Angelica, she was starting to understand why Dolores was the way she was.

Dolores had written that Angelica was inspired and encouraged to do good by her mother, and her father was absent for most of her life. When he did come back he was often mean to her mother, constantly beating her, and eventually, he left altogether. It got to the point where Angelica decided fathers were over-rated and she didn't need one, so long as she had a mother to teach her right from wrong and to always fight for truth, and justice.

In that respect, Raven, Angelica and now presumably Dolores' backstories were eerily similar. Perhaps that's why Dolores had felt some resonation with the Raven character.

There was a slight pang of guilt for the way Rachel treated Dolores. Unfortunately, it evaporated when she remembered Dolores was always the aggressor, not her.

Rachel had no desire to leave a comment or review. She knew it'd be taken the wrong way if her name was attached to it. But she could leave an anonymous review.

 _I wonder..._ Rachel thought.

Rachel had an opinion purely on how the story was being written, and she decided to put those thoughts into writing and post it up in an anonymous account just to see what Dolores would say.

It didn't take long to get a mass of replies.

"Did you even read the story?"

"She doesn't have to change a thing, I think it's perfect!"

"You're missing the point of the story!"

"If you don't like it, don't read it!"

"Piss off, troll!"

Blah, blah, blah. Did they even read the review? Talk about overprotective.

Rachel was about to close down the web-page when she noticed something. There was a bio about the author. It wasn't an interesting read, it was mostly self-aggrandising. But at the bottom, it linked to the Lost Child of Azarath and proclaimed the author of that story to be who the bully is based on. Letting them know where to target their outrage.

 _What a hypocrite!_ Rachel raged. _Anti-bullying indeed!_

 _"Just be yourself, and people will realise that who you are, versus what she says you are, are two different things."_ Good advice her dad had given her. But how does she demonstrate that to people who she'd never meet in person, and clearly had no interest in understanding another perspective?

 _"Some people just want that pat on the head."_ Her dad had said. Now, looking at the comment section on Dolores's own story, Rachel understood how broad the 'pat on the head' metaphor was.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes: Edits 29/07/2019** After listening to this read out by the FFNet reader I've trimmed some of the excess fat off this chapter, because I'd described some things multiple times.

I've realised there aren't that many Doctor Who themed elements in the last few chapters. I'll soon remedy that, I promise. ;)

I wanted to do sort of a running commentary on troll reviews, and show how Rachel would handle them. I might expand on this a little bit later, because _oh boy_ Rachel is going to be made part of something she's totally unaware of. But you'll have to read on and see. ;)

I've planted the idea that Raven is a little twisted in her head, and that she might actually enjoy torturing people she hates with Chakra torture. Some elements of it are somewhat shown in the TV show. But I'm going to leave that vague for now. Perhaps later I'll explore if Raven is really still that twisted.

In this chapter, I wanted to try to flesh out a little of Dolores. However, whether this accurately reflects the way she thinks, or if Dolores is totally aware of what she's doing I'll leave up to the reader. ;)


	55. Chapter 54, The Ministry of Editing

**Authors notes:** I am just trying to be true to the fictions and characters I'm writing for, so keep that in mind. ;) :P

* * *

 **Chapter 54**

 **The Ministry of Editing.**

Raven began to wake up.

What had happened?

Last thing she remembered she was threatening the Imposter with Chakra torture when...

As her eyes adjusted to the light she was suddenly forced to her feet and dragged along somewhere.

Pain. She'd felt pain. What felt like a million volts went through her hand, up her arm and she'd blacked out.

The Imposter's teleporter had electrocuted her!

As the world began to swim back into focus she realised the Imposter had actually done something very clever. She'd tricked Raven into thinking she'd won. She knew Raven would keep hold of the teleporter. She'd set a trap and Raven had walked right into it!

 _Stupid, stupid, stupid!_

Raven was hoisted and placed in a line of people, they were all other fictional characters, and they were handcuffed, waiting to see a person behind a desk. Someone who looked official, officiant and somewhat handsome, but was clearly someone of great authority, despite the man-bun in his hair.

As Raven tried to move her hands she realised, she was handcuffed too!

"Name?" The official character asked of the person next in line.

"Roj Blake." Said a tall character with curly hair.

"Fiction?"

"You already know which fiction I belong to." Roj looked bored and uninterested.

"Fiction!" The man barked a bark which sounded more like a whine.

"Blakes 7, BBC, 1978."

"We've reviewed your case." We? There was only him there. "And we've decided it's better if you and the entire series is censored."

"On what grounds?!" Roj asked.

"Well, according to your character sheet, you were convicted of a crime you didn't commit."

"That is true." Roj nodded.

"The crime for which you were 'framed'" the guy said, as if the idea was unbelievable, "is doing unspeakable acts to children."

A muscle in Roj's head twitched. "That is true. But the accusations were falsified. I had stumbled upon a dirty secret of the federation and..."

"Beside the point. We're censoring you for the crime you were framed for. It might make children think twice about exposing their abusers if a TV show makes us feel sympathy for one."

"But I never committed the crime and you know it!" Roj declared, "And anyway, the federation still convicted me for it and exiled me to Signas Alpha! By your standards, the 'abuser' was punished."

"Be that as it may," The guy sounded dismissive, "Your story has no place in the Mistress's Land of Fiction and indeed the future of society in the real world."

"You do realise censoring me here does not affect the real world, so this is entirely pointless." Roj argued levelly, "This is only for the Mistress's sycophantic need to control the world of imagination."

"What-evs!" The guy said and with a wave of his hand Roj Blake faded into a mist and vanished. "NEXT!"

Next were the four Raven had met earlier, on board that small space ship.

"Names?"

The robot with the angular face spoke.

"Mister Dave Lister, Mister Cat, Mister Arnold Judas Rimmer." The man with the H on his forehead winced at the middle name. "Kryten 2X4B 523P. A jerky middle name I know, 2X4B. I didn't come up with it."

"Fiction?"

"Red Dwarf, BBC, 1988."

The man behind the desk tutted. "Where do I begin?"

"You can start by who told you it was a good idea to put that stupid thing in your hair?" The sharply dressed man with the big incisors said, the one called the Cat. "You got a quarantine licence for it? It's not contagious is it? Hey, can I poke it with a stick?"

The round-faced man dragged the Cat back to make him shut up. "You'll have to excuse him. He's two tunas short of a fishery."

"You've violated so many of the Mistress's requirements for good fiction for the progressive civilisation of tomorrow." The man behind the desk said, "I don't even think I need you to try to justify your existence."

"Hey, whoa, whoa!" The Cat said smoothly, "I have perfect reason to justify my existence."

The man looked bored. "Okay, lets hear it."

"I've given pleasure to the world because I have such a beautiful ass!"

The man behind the desk looked un-amused. "That's it? That's your case?"

"You need more?!" The Cat looked shocked and outraged.

"Leave this to me, nano brain!" The H man called Rimmer stood forward. He did a really strange salute which involved him holding his arm out at a high angle in front of him, and wiggling his hand around his wrist a few times before snapping it back to his forehead in salute.

"Don't do that here!"

"Do what, Sir?" Rimmer asked respectfully.

"That, that untasteful salute!"

"It was done as a mark of respect." Rimmer whined. He then stood as stiff as a board and bounced on the balls of his feet a little as a coping mechanism. "It's my own special Rimmer Salute."

"The first part of it is hateful!" The man looked furious.

"Look here," Rimmer said trying to move the conversation on. "As acting officer of the Space Corp, I demand a trial as per Space Corp Directive 5-7-9-6."

"5-7-9-6?" Kryten questioned, Rimmers face looked like he was about to have an aneurysm as the robot continued. "'No officer above the rank of mess Sargent is permitted to enter heavy combat with pierced nipples?' are you really sure that's relevant, sir?"

"I'm talking about the regulation that all members of the crew are open for a fair trial, and be allowed to face their accuser before sentence is passed."

"That's Space Corp Directive 5-7-9-5, sir!" Kryten corrected.

"It's embarrassing you do this all the time!" Rimmer complained, "Here you are totally humiliating me in front of this jumped up, hippy-looking, reject from a gay pride disco!" Rimmer suddenly realised what he'd just said out loud and he held out his hands to the man in apology, "No offence!"

"GET THEM OUT OF MY SIGHT!" The man shouted, he practically punched the air and the four began to fade out.

"Wait, before we go. Can I say one thing in my own defence?!" said the round-faced man.

"Make it good, Lister."

"Well, matey, I just wanted to say that." He paused, "In fact, can I whisper it? It's a tad embarrassing."

The man looked intrigued and allowed Lister to come forward and whisper into his ear.

"I just wanted to say that..." he paused, and let out a large, gut-churning belch right into the man's ear. Lister burst out laughing as the guy wrenched himself back in disgust. "You're a total Smeg Head."

"CENSORED, CENSORED, CENSORED!" and all four vanished.

The next fiction was a well-dressed man in a tuxedo. In fact, there were several versions of him.

"James Bond?" The guy questioned, "We know what you're all about. Censored!" And they vanished without even a trial.

Raven questioned why she was even in this line. By the look of it they were banishing fictions into the Censored Zone, so why was she here? She wasn't a fiction.

Eventually it was her turn, she was the last in line, and she stepped forward.

"Name?" The man barked.

"Raven." She said.

"Fiction?"

"Fact!" Raven shot back.

"Excuse me?" the man asked, rather condescendingly.

"I am not a fiction. I am real."

"Yeah right, freaky powers like yours?" He scoffed, "and with such a skinny body like that, you're clearly a fiction."

"Try me." Raven raised up her cuffed hands and prepared to cast a spell.

"Censored." The man said and waved his hand. But Raven didn't vanish.

Clunk! As Ravens cuffs fell to the floor. She'd cast a small portal so her hands could move through them.

Now the man looked worried and he pressed a buzzer on his desk. Or tried to. Raven's powers had severed the wires underneath it. There were no guards in here. Presumably the guy never thought a fiction would be able to raise a weapon to fight against him, and never expected a real person to pose any threat.

Raven put her hands on her hips and cocked her head to one side to show she was serious.

"Make this easy for yourself, and tell me where I am."

"You're in the Ministry of Editing!" The man said, shaking. "We filter the fictions into what society should see and what we need to protect them from."

"And I'm sure your job is so important to the future of civilisation." Raven said in a bored tone. "I require only three things from you. One, how do I get out of here? Two, where is the Imposter Doctor? Three, where is the real Doctor?"

The man wasn't forthcoming with his answers, at first. "Don't mind me, I have all day." and Raven took this guys neck in her powers and lifted him up so his feet dangled.

This guy was going to talk. One way or another.

* * *

The guy was quite forthcoming when he wanted to be, and now he was going to be very, very quiet. Raven had made sure of that.

Now drifting through the compound she had some idea where she was.

This was a compound where fictions were brought to either be processed, re-written or censored altogether. Clearly, for some strange reason they thought Raven was a fiction.

Now the sorceress began to contemplate her next move. She still didn't know where the Doctor was, nor where the Imposter went. Barriss and Alice were also missing.

As she thought about the last few hours Raven began to wonder again how the Imposter got a hold of that teleporter, because Raven was sure she didn't have it before. So someone must've either given it to her, or she'd hid it very well.

Her suspicions began to run as she thought about who could've given that thing to her, and only one suspect came to her mind.

Raven stopped as from around the corner and through a door came Barriss Offee herself, roaming freely around the compound. Raven's fractious mood got the better of her and instantly Barriss froze, covered in black energy. The green hooded girl looked relieved to see her shorter, pale counterpart.

"Raven!" She smiled, "am I glad to see you!"

Raven didn't answer, she just stared at Barriss. Slowly she walked towards the space monk.

"We're in danger and..." she stopped as Raven advanced., an accusing scowl on her face. "What's wrong?"

Raven didn't bother trying to sense deceit. In this Land of Fiction there was no guarantee she could read it accurately.

"You gave the Imposter that teleporter." Raven accused.

"What? I did no such thing!" Barriss said back softly, but worried.

"The Imposter didn't have it before. You were up earlier last night. You were with the Imposter before I stumbled upon you, and I heard the Imposters proposal to you."

"You heard that?" Barriss said with a hint of alarm, "But you also must've heard that I didn't accept."

"A ruse. You sensed me coming." If Barriss could sense Raven approaching in the dead of night, then she'd sense her coming through the trees in broad daylight.

"Please, believe me, I don't know how the Imposter got that device!"

"Liar!" Raven spat and smacked Barriss across the face. It was because of her that Raven had lost the Doctor, it was because of her they'd lost the Imposter, it was because of her they were in this predicament. It all made sense to Raven. She'd betrayed her own order, now she was betraying them, betraying her, just because she wanted a better story for herself.

"But I hate the Mistress, you should know this!"

"Then why are you roaming this compound freely?" Raven asked.

"When we were brought in, we were mixed up. They thought I was the real one. They took you to be processed as a fiction, I was taken to the Mistress, but she found out and she was sending the guards back with me to pick you up. But in some confusion I managed to escape." Barriss paused before adding, "Raven, the Doctor is alive, he's with the Mistress."

Up until that point Raven was almost about to believe her, until she mentioned the Doctor being alive and with the Mistress. It seemed too convenient for her.

"I don't believe you." Raven said coldly as her powers took Barriss by the throat.

Raven swallowed, and rubbed her own neck a little as she felt something. The green bitch was trying to use her own powers to strangle Raven but her own powers were weak.

"Please, stop!" Barriss cried. "I'm on your side!"

Raven hung Barriss up and contemplated for a second. Barriss was just a fiction. If Raven crushes her neck, she'd vanish and just appear somewhere else in the Land of Fiction. After all, she was held here by mental pressure, a fiction can't die, not really.

"I still want to help you." Barriss choked.

"I don't need your help anymore." Raven decided. "And I can't risk you betraying me like you did your order."

"No, Raven please."

"You're a fiction, you can't die." Raven said.

"Yes, I can. I'm not bound by my cannon, I'm alive! I'm alive! I'm alive!"

Those were the last words the traitor, Barriss Offee spoke.

* * *

"Hey, no fair!" Garfield shouted.

"Yeah, eat my dirt, monkey boy!" Victor whooped as his computer generated kart sped by Garfield's on the TV.

It was the weekend, which meant no after-school detention at least, and Rachel had agreed to meet her friends at Garfield's house.

Richard and Stella had not arrived yet, meaning Rachel was stuck with goofball Garfield and Victor for company.

Rachel was there to help Garfield and Victor with their homework assignments, which they'd somehow talked her into helping with. It might be to do with the fact that Victor had acquired a copy of a new horror movie Rachel wanted to see. The Darkness before the Dawn. It was for adults only, so there was no chance of any of them getting into a movie theater to see it. Obviously, Victor the computer whiz had not acquired this copy legally; and Rachel had still been promised cinema quality.

The five of them were going to gather around the TV after dark, sit and watch the blood fest. If the movie was anything like the book it should be blood chilling. Rachel was looking forward to it. The main protagonist was a woman called Sarah Kingdom, and was one of Rachels favourite characters, ever.

Unfortunately, the first part of the trade wasn't happening, because Garfield and Victor instead of working on their assignments had just sat and played on their stupid games machines instead. This suited Rachel fine as she was left to read her books and prepare for her own assignments. Rachel felt like she wasn't here to help Garfield or Victor pass their assignments, she was here to baby sit them. With Garfield's parents away for the weekend that was probably true.

One thing was apparent though. No way was she doing the dishes or his laundry.

A loud bark caught her attention, framed in the doorway was a dog. A blonde Labrador. It looked at her with pleased eyes and it wagged its tail.

Rachel eyed it a 'Don't you dare,' look. But it bound up to her regardless and she had to physically push the dog away to keep it at arms length by the collar as it tried to lick her face. Rachel didn't dislike dogs, but something about the unconditional affection they'd give to any human who steps through the door kind of unnerved her. Raven had the same reaction to any human who was overly nice to her, it creeped her out.

Garfield and Victor both paused the game and laughed at the struggle Rachel was having with the affectionate animal.

"Garfield, call this slobber monster of yours off now before I smack it!" Rachel hissed. She wouldn't really hit the dog. She didn't like its affections, but she didn't dislike it that much.

"Terra!" That got the dogs attention, "sit, girl!" It backed off from Rachel and sat down. Garfield came up to the dog and patted it on the head. "Don't worry, Terra, I still love you." Rachel felt like she was going to be sick. The dog looked up at her. "Don't worry Terra. Rachel doesn't do dogs, or humanity, or fun, or love."

Something about that stung at Rachel as she scowled down at Garfield and his dog as it now pushed Garfield to the ground and began to climb on top of him showing its affection. Garfield then gave the dog a belly rub.

Rachel never understood Garfield's kinship with that animal. It was probably because he half acted like an animal most of the time.

"Hey, Rae!" Victor called waving a game controller at her, "want to play?"

"Why?"

"Because its fun!" Victor said gleefully.

"What's the point of it?" Rachel asked now standing in the doorway between the kitchen and the living-room.

"We just compete to see who's faster." Victor answered as if this was obvious. It was a racing game they were playing.

"Compete to see who can get some computer generated sprites around an imaginary race course? What goal does that achieve? It's utterly pointless."

Victor looked at her as if she was joking.

"We enjoy it." Garfield said.

"Small things amuse small minds." Rachel rolled her eyes. Garfield had been upset by that remark.

"Yeah, well..." he paused, trying to think of a good comeback. "Bah, who needs you? Rachel can't do fun because she doesn't know how to."

"I embrace nothingness." Rachel said with a hint of sarcasm.

"What's the point of reading those books?" Victor argued, pointing at the book in Rachel's hand. Rachel knew where this argument was going and decided to not take part.

"What is the point of this argument?" Rachel said flatly.

"Why do you have such a problem?!" Garfield fumed.

"You find playing with a useless device entertaining." Rachel said, "I find reading bound pages of printed paper entertaining. I don't like your game device any more than you like books."

"Hey, I've read books." Garfield said.

"We're not talking about books where the main character is a rabbit called Peter." Rachel shot back.

"Oh yeah, and what about those Harry Potter books you read?!" That touched a nerve. She actually liked them.

"I'm surprised you're even at that reading level." Rachel fired back.

"Why don't you just try the game?!" Victor said, "are you scared you'll like it and have to eat your words?"

"Is that supposed to goat me into playing?" Rachel asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Whoa, whoa! Settle down guys." Said Richard, who'd just come through the front door. Garfield had left is front door open again. "We're not in the debate society."

"Indeed not." Said Stella who came in behind them. "We are here to enjoy everyone's company as the greatest of friends!"

Terra bounded up after Richard and Stella and greeted them by licking their faces. Something Stella was only too happy to imitate in return to the dog.

The mood calmed down after that. Richard, Victor and Garfield played games. Rachel and Stella, after shutting the dog out of the kitchen, began talking about stuff in general. Rachel wasn't good at small talk, so she just settled on helping Stella with her assignment.

"Doctor Colin Baker taught me how to make a wonderful souffle in cooking class." Stella beamed.

Doctor C. Baker held a cooking class too? Well, he was a man of many talents.

"Souffle?" Rachel questioned, "I thought it was roast beef." Despite saying this Stella did not get upset, she just carried on.

"Doctor Colin Baker said I had a real talent for cooking. Do you not agree?"

"S...sure." Rachel said, she didn't want to derail her happy mood. If it was Garfield though she'd gladly stick a pin in it.

The hours went past and neither Victor nor Garfield got their books out. Rachel wondered briefly if they just asked her for help to get her out of her house and interacting with them. They did call her a social recluse, and that was somewhat true.

Eventually, the games were put away -or in their case, the game system was turned off and the tangled controllers left on the floor- and Garfield made some pop-corn, Victor got the movie ready and everyone declined Stella's offer to cook something, thank god.

They were about to start the movie when there was a knock on the door. Garfield went to answer it. They heard the door open, no words were spoken, and suddenly 'slam!'

Garfield came back into the living room confusion clear on his face.

"It's Dolores!" Garfield said, his eyes turned to Rachel before looking at all the others.

"Yes, I know, I invited her." Said Stella.

"You invited her?" Rachel asked aghast, "Why?!" Everyone looked at Stella like she was nuts as she opened the door and let Dolores inside. They both greeted each other before Stella answered Rachel's question.

"Because I think we need to give her a chance. She is a lovely girl when you talk to her."

"Stella," this was Richard, "You know what Dolores tried to do to Garfield."

"And she said she was sorry." Stella said, "She explained she thought Rachel didn't like Garfield and that he was harassing her."

"I didn't want to hurt your friend." Dolores said to Rachel, "I was just looking out for you." She lowered her head. "I'm sorry."

Rachel fixed her with a steely look. "I'm not the one you should be apologising to." and Rachels eyes went to Garfield's.

Dolores didn't turn to face Garfield. She addressed the group instead with her focus entirely on Stella. "I'm sorry. I'm just trying to be good."

Garfield's body language relaxed and he looked less like a frightened animal.

Rachel didn't buy this act. Dolores had some balls to come here to apologise. The average person might buy the apology, but Rachel had been through similar acts one too many times and gotten burnt for it.

Richard looked intensely at Dolores but was more relaxed, as did Victor. Rachel didn't back down. She hadn't told her friends about the horrid things Dolores had said about her in her own twisted story, she didn't think it worth mentioning. If they knew would they be so quick to relax around her. Rachel could tell them all right now, but the time didn't feel right somehow.

"Stella, you should've told us you'd invited her." Richard said. "Springing it on us like this was not the best thing to do."

"I apologise friends. But I thought you'd argue me out of it and leave Dolores out in the cold."

 _To come all this way only to have the door locked in your face by people who don't believe you could be good._ Rachel thought. _Okay, fine. I'll tolerate her, it doesn't mean I have to like or interact with her._

She caught Dolores's eye and Rachel gave her a look which said, _I've got my eye on you._

"Okay, she can stay." Richard still had suspicion written all over his eyes.

"Thank you for this opportunity." Dolores smiled, "What movie are we watching? MCU? One of the new Disney movies? Pixar?" Dolores's pleasant face began to fade when she found out which one. At first Rachel thought it was because it was a horror, but her motivations seemed to be more petty.

"People only watched that because the protagonist is an overly sexualised teenage girl!" She proclaimed. "Have you seen her proportions? So unrealistic."

Rachel looked down at her own body. The protagonist didn't have a body much different than her own. Clearly Dolores was talking total shite again.

"Why don't we watch Mistress Fantastica, the new superhero movie? It's got a better female protagonist." Dolores suggested.

"We saw it last week." Victor said, he shrugged, "I thought it was kind of... 'meh.'"

"It's not as good as the previous movies." Richard shrugged.

"I liked it." Garfield said.

 _Yeah, he would._ Rachel thought. She wasn't really into superhero movies, so she hadn't seen it, and had no desire to either.

"I've heard this movie is better written." Victor said.

"Oh, come on! Those are just trolls!" Dolores said a little too pointedly. "They just don't like that we have a movie based around a female superhero!"

"Uhhh... Sarah Kingdom is a woman." Rachel said flatly but with an edge. Dolores did not like that.

"They only went to see it because she's an over sexualised teen!" Dolores began to fume.

"Oh yes, because people go to see movies either for it's political leanings, or sexual content." Rachel fought back.

"IT IS!" Dolores fumed.

"This argument is pointless." Rachel said, fixing Dolores with an intense look. "The boys have clearly seen your Mistress movie already, and I have no desire to watch it. We are watching this movie tonight, whether you want us to or not. Either sit down and shut up, or leave."

"I'll go to the police and tell them you're illegally watching a movie for adults." Dolores fumed.

"I'm clearly quaking in my boots." Rachel fired back.

"Perhaps, friend Dolores, you should calm yourself." Stella tried to sooth her.

"No, I will not be insulted like this!" Dolores was turning red.

 _Insulted? We've said nothing about you._

"Dolores, we've already seen Mistress Fantastica." Richard said, taking control of the situation. "We want to watch this movie now."

"If you do that, then the trolls win!" Dolores sounded like winning against these trolls meant everything to her.

"So what?" Rachel said. "You care about that pointless internet battle, not us."

"You're part of it whether you realise it or not! If you're not on the right side, then you are automatically on the wrong side. That's a scientific fact!"

Shots fired, time for the retaliation and Rachel's had a sting in the tail.

"A scientific fact? From someone who thought plants reacted to the emotions in human speech? Yeah, I so trust your clearly, in-depth scientific knowledge." The air was quiet and Dolores looked uncomfortable, probably as the humiliation of that moment in class came flooding back. Rachel then added. "Now, you have really have been insulted."

Dolores had finally had enough and decided to storm out. Unfortunately, she opened the wrong door and bounding through it was Garfield's dog.

Terra landed on top of Dolores and she fell to the floor with the dog on top who proceeded to lick her face in a happy greeting.

 _So much for animals sensing evil._ Rachel thought. But Dolores looked uncomfortable so it was laughable at least.

But then Dolores did something that Rachel would never do to the dog in a million years, and it made Rachel's anger flare-up. The bitch hit Terra! Smacked her over the head three times. She pushed the dog off and retreated out the front door slamming it behind her.

"I'm going to tell your parents!" Dolores screamed as she ran. "and I'll get that monster mutt put down!"

Garfield was at Terra's side in an instant, cuddling the dog as it whimpered in pain. The dog was fine, Dolores didn't hit hard enough to break its skin, but it had clearly been a shock for the dog that someone had been so aggressive after she'd been so friendly.

Stella stopped to make sure the dog and Garfield were okay before she went out into the rain to catch up with Dolores, leaving Rachel with the boys.

"She'll be okay." Victor said, talking about Terra "She hits like a girl."

"Is everything a battle to her?" Richard asked as they gathered around Terra to make the dog feel better.

Rachel just stood at the window and watched Dolores stamp away down the street. God, if she could Rachel would reach out and bash her in the head two or three times.

When they finally started the movie the dog sat on the couch with them. Its head lolled into Rachel's lap. Sighing Rachel rested her hand on its head and stroked it a little.

It's just stupid. All this had stemmed from an argument over a movie, and it had to end with Terra getting beaten over the head.

* * *

Raven had been wandering around the compound for not very long. The place didn't seem to be all that well guarded. Perhaps it was in a place usually unreachable by any fiction unless they were brought here.

The walls were white, and it had the look of being clinically clean.

No sign of those guards Barriss had told Raven about, which only proved to Raven that she was lying.

Raven froze as around the corner came two of those white robots. She guessed she'd have to run into some guards at some point. But when they parted, walking between them was Alice! Was she being escorted too?

"Raven!" Alice shouted, "The most curious thing has occurred!"

Raven's guard was up in case the robots tried anything, but they seemed none hostile.

"The Mistress has been deposed, and we have a new Master of the Land of Fiction!" Alice said happily, "The Resistance has won. We did it!"

"Master?" Ravens mind went instantly to the Doctor, but Alice denied this.

"No, but he helped defeat the Mistress." Alice smiled, "But we need to find the traitor Barriss, she nearly ruined everything."

"No need to worry about her." Raven said, but didn't elaborate. "I've dealt with that traitor."

"Jolly Good show!" Alice smiled. There was something in her eye Raven did not like. It could just be because she was flanked by White Robots, but something didn't seem quite right.

"If not the Doctor, who is the new Master?" Raven asked.

"Come and see." Alice walked, Raven followed and the White Robots flanked them.

 _Could this be a trick?_ Raven's mind thought. _By 'Doctor' she doesn't mean the Imposter, right?_ Raven reached out with her mind.

 _I can sense the Doctor, the real Doctor! He's near!_ Raven felt a great relief, but didn't show it through her face.

Could the Doctor have sorted out everything by himself while she was running around after the Imposter? Raven guessed she'll find out sooner rather than later.

 _And where is that Imposter, anyway?_ _I've got a few things to repay that bitch for!_

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** I know I promised more Doctor Who themed things, but there was no place for them in this chapter. Unless you count the White Robots, of course.

Things are really about to get worse now. :P

I was looking for good dog names, and I came across Terra in the list and I just thought. Why not? :P

For this story I wanted to Rachel to interact with her friends to show what kind of a friendship she has with them.

The debate between Dolores and the gang over a movie is similar to a stupid argument that was going on with the release of two movies earlier this year which were posed as rivals to each other for purely ideological reasons. I remembered a lot of the discussion which surrounded them and some of the most ridicules things being said and asserted. Some of the interaction is a condensed version of what I read, and was just stuff I imagined Dolores arguing for.

The scene with the man behind the desk is somewhat inspired by some ridicules reasons why some think certain TV shows should be banned, or should not be shown anymore. Usually for small, stupid things like showing a character smoking or having swearing in it. Of course, the Mistress has a much stricter guidelines for fictions than that.

I wanted to have some fun with the Red Dwarf crew since I already had them in the story, and I knew they'd insult the man behind the desk in an amusing way before he got rid of them. They were honestly a joy to write and I might consider writing some Red Dwarf Fan fics after I've finished some of my others.


	56. Chapter 55, Dolores plays Dirty

**Authors notes:** Something I forgot to mention in the previous chapter. Dolores is the kind of person who thinks your choice in movies and video games says a lot about your character and your political beliefs. Hence why she passionately tries to dissuade Rachel's friends to not watch the movie in question. She's the kind of person who thinks video games cause violence, for example.

I'm also going to be going through this chapter a few times with the FFNet Text Reader, because I'm still not 100% sure it works. Again, any advice or thoughts are appreciated to make the story better. I'm no Dolores. ;)

 **EDITS** 06/08/2019: I have to admit, when I released this chapter I did kind of rush it. Part of me wants to move onto the next idea I have and I'm getting a little anxious to get this done. But I've gone back and altered some aspects of this chapter because I felt I was either too on the nose, not subtle enough, or it wasn't clear what the Doctor was trying to do. I've also made an effort to explore more of Ravens thoughts in this chapter, which is what I think makes the story work.

More edits might come as I revise the ending, but as always, I'll keep you guys on top of them. ;)

* * *

 **Chapter 55**

 **Dolores plays Dirty**

Raven saw him, the Doctor! He was standing by a big and grand door attempting to open it with his Sonic Screwdriver.

"Doctor!" She called in her low rasp. She fought a pleased smile down as he looked up at her.

"Raven!" He exclaimed, pleased, but like he wasn't expecting to see her. "I'm glad you're alright. Have I got a story to tell you."

But Raven wasn't interested. He was okay, that's all that mattered to her.

"Later." Raven insisted as she joined him. "Why are you acting like you didn't know I was here?"

"Because I didn't." Ravens face fell and she turned to look at Alice. But she had gone too along with the White Robots. "How did you get here?" the Time Lord asked.

"I think they mistook me for a fiction and tried to censor me."

"Censor you, and your sarcastic mouth?" The Doctor teased. It felt good to hear him joke again even if the jokes were irritating.

"What are you doing with this door?" Raven asked.

"Trying to gain entrance to the Master Brain control room and confront the Mistress." The Doctor said, turning his attention back to the lock.

"But the Mistress has been overthrown. They have a Master in charge now." Raven said, her face fell further in confusion.

"Not that I've heard." Raven looked back at where Alice should be. An uneasy feeling now in her stomach.

The grand doors suddenly clicked and slowly began to open ominously.

Inside was a large room, a library of sorts. The shelves were full of books, videotapes, DVD's, cassettes, CD's and other types of media devices that were either so advanced or so outdated Raven didn't know what they were.

In the middle of this was a large, glass chamber with a swirling crystal and pulsating lights. Beneath the vessel was drawn a dark, red curtain. This must be the 'Master Brain-Computer' perhaps?

Sitting in front of that, at an old, oak wooden desk was a tall and respectable-looking man in his mid thirty's. The new Master of the Land of Fiction?

"Ah, Doctor, Raven." The man greeted in a pleasant voice. "Welcome."

"Anyone we know?" Raven lent over and said to the Doctor.

"No, not that I recognise." The Doctor shrugged.

As Raven stepped in, her powers activated so she was ready for anything. She did notice some odd decorations around the wall. Some kind of very horrific art of what looked like men carved out of grey slabs in a pose which looked like they'd been pressed into it and they'd fought to escape.

Creepy, but she kind of liked it. But what really unnerved her about them were the faint waves in the ether, waves of life. There was life in those things?!

"You are the new Master of the Land of Fiction?" The Doctor asked, dragging Ravens attention away from the wall art.

"Indeed sir, I am." The man stood and held out his hand. The Doctor did not take it. Probably very wise.

"I was under the impression we were to meet a Mistress." The Doctor said.

"Under new management. The Master Brain eventually rejected the Mistress and found me working at a rival production company to hers and it decided to scoop me up." The man said.

"Really? You look more like a businessman than a writer or creator, a little too 'perfect' from a certain point of view." The Doctor said.

"I ask you not to judge me on my appearance, Doctor." There was a hint of annoyance in the guys voice. "I am a well-accomplished storyteller."

"Alright, no need to be upset." The Doctor said, and the mans face twitched a little. The Doctor gestured to a pile of papers the guy was clearly working on. "May I?"

"I'd be honoured." The man said, and the Doctor dived right in.

The Time Lord seemed to read the documents at the speed of light. Which made Raven wonder why his reading pile in the TARDIS went down so slowly. On the desk there was also a large, angular, stone hammer of some kind with a short handle. It was in the way and she attempted to move it. But it must've been very heavy or fixed to the desk because no matter how hard she pulled on it the thing refused to budge. She sneakily attempted to move it with her powers, but even shrouded in dark energy it refused to move.

"That's Mjolnir, my dear." Said the man. "Hammer of the God of Thunder, Thor. Only the worthy may lift it."

"Really?" Raven said, unimpressed. It didn't make sense why you'd design a hammer like that. "Mind moving it? It's kind of in the way."

"I'm happy with it where it is, please don't touch it." The man looked sheepish. Perhaps he could not lift it himself.

Ravens attention returned to the Doctor. The more he read the more his expression changed from one of intrigue to one of disappointment.

"Something wrong?" The man asked.

"Umm..." The Doctor appeared to be searching for words. Raven got the suspicion he was trying to be diplomatic, but couldn't be positive about it. "Well, what you've got is workable, but will need to go through a couple of drafts." The Doctor said pointing to the document. "Swap these out, perhaps change the order of events so it flows better, maybe make this issue you're trying to highlight more subtle. Also, you've established something which breaks established cannon. Readers will not like that."

A muscle in the mans face twitched. "That is just your opinion, Doctor."

"Yes, William Shakespeare said the same thing, but look at him now." The Doctor laughed, he wasn't being serious. Though the man didn't seem to pick up on it. "Though he did sneak in that mixed metaphor past me somehow. Sometimes he really would insist!"

The Doctor flipped through other papers on the desk.

"You've been rather busy for someone who's just taken office." The Doctor asked suspiciously as he tried to move the hammer himself, and not being very successful.

"Those were written by the Mistress." The guy said as the Doctor flipped through them.

Something about this man didn't 'feel right' somehow to Raven, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"Yet, they follow the same themes, and flaws as yours do." The Doctor said, scanning another manuscript. "I'm not saying what you have is awful. But will need a few more re-drafts."

"I think it's perfect the way it is." The man insisted subtly the guy was getting upset.

"Well, that too is a matter of opinion." The Doctor said, dropping a clump of papers. "Considering this is for the Land of Fiction itself, and one thing it loves is good fiction which tickles many minds."

"It's only a fiction, a fantasy. Stop taking it so seriously. It's all 'just' for kids! Not for grown-ass adults!"

"Oh well, if you can't take criticism." The Doctor said, picking up another manuscript.

What was the Doctor doing?! They weren't going to get very far if the Doctor aggravated the guy like this.

 _"Doctor, what are you doing?"_ Raven sent to him telepathically.

 _"Testing a hypothesis."_ The Doctor sent back, _"I believe he's not all he appears to be."_

"What happened to the Mistress by the way?" the Doctor said, suddenly changing the subject.

"The Mistress was returned to her own place and time." The guy said.

"Shame, I wanted to have a few words with her. She was a strange person. I believe she had good motives at her heart, or pretended to at least. But at her heart she was also a tyrant."

"Tyrant?! Doctor, she did have a vision for the world." The guy said.

"Most Tyrants do." The Doctor countered.

"and I happen to share that vision." The guy said. The Doctors face dropped, as did Ravens.

"You mean you're still going through with her plan?" The Doctor said, breaking away from the Master of the Land of Fiction and he moved towards the wall decorations.

"To make a better tomorrow? Yes!" the man insisted.

"No, I mean kidnapping people from the real world and replacing them with fictional caricatures? Funny, I thought you said the Master Brain got rid of the Mistress because she was unsuitable. But you're hardly any different." The Doctor rested a hand on one of the slabs. "Speaking of caricatures, here's one. Rhumius Thala from Allak IV. Just a jumped-up, money-grubbing politician; always desperate to get re-elected. Speaks for politicians in general, I know. Despised by the general public."

"He was a tyrant and a twisted man." The guy insisted.

"That's how the papers painted him." The Doctor said, "Though he was hardly a saint, in reality, he was stuck in an office he really didn't want to be in, doing a job he didn't want to do. He was more a puppet for the senators around him to pull his strings, and then be a scapegoat when things went wrong. He couldn't resign, that would be career suicide, though probably would've been the better option for him. But then something snapped in him. Most say he went mad. But he began ripping his planet to pieces, because, and I quote 'money, money, money, I love money!' A very cartoony thing for a politician because most never admit it. He didn't last long in office after that. But his madness was never explained, and damage had already been done."

"What are you talking about?" The guy asked.

"His madness makes sense now." The Doctor patted the slab, "This is the real article. His madness was caused by his replacement. They're like a caricature media conjures up, a straw-man, and you brought it to life." The Doctor moved to another slab.

"This gentleman" the Doctor rested a hand on the slab. "Ronald Lamar, an actor, a celebrity, someone who never showed any hint of malice in his career. A curious case that was studied, but no conclusion drawn. He apparently said a contentious thing on the television, quite innocent, if ignorant for the time. But then practically overnight he became a totally intolerant, bigoted man. Utterly destroying his career." The Doctor shrugged. "It's the same with all these people across the universe." He opened out his arms and waved them over the displays. "They all suddenly changed and became cartoony evil. It's like the Straw-men of these people came to life and stepped into their bodies."

"Nobody could see the evil in these peoples hearts. It needed to be put on display!" The guy insisted. His attitude now didn't fit his tidy appearance.

"May be so. Though I personally doubt you could have known what was in their hearts. You only inferred what you believed was there. And for that, you yanked them out of their lives, sealed them in carbonite, and replaced them with your exaggerated doppelgangers." The Doctor summed up. "All for a better world?"

"Ingenious, wasn't it now? Even for the Mistress." The Master of the Land of Fiction got a smug look on his face as if it was something to be proud of.

"The caricatures of these people damaged their respected planets economy. Plenty lost their jobs and their lively-hood and it took generations for the planets to recover. Did you not think that be replacing them, the fictional doppelgangers might cause damage not only to their careers. But to their planets? These people are known to have sent devastating ripples across the galaxy." The Doctor said. "It nearly caused a galaxy-wide war."

"Ah, but it didn't. When I saw that developing I replaced the people willing to push the button with peace-loving counterparts who wouldn't."

"A million and one-piece jigsaw suddenly starts to fall into place." The Doctor said, amazed but a little disgusted.

"Don't you think its a great idea? Peoples true selves will be put on display for everyone to see!"

"You mean, what people look like from your point of view?" The Doctor argued back. "You've taken the idea of a 'Straw-man' to a horrific length. I'm sorry, you may have good intentions I'm sure, but I can't allow you to continue. Some of these people may very well be the monsters you assume them to be." The Doctors eyes went to Raven and back. "But that doesn't mean you get the imprison them."

"I don't get it." Raven said as a thought came to her, "if she wanted to make the world a better place, why not replace these people with 'better' people, good people, instead of exaggerated, evil ones?"

"Good point." The Doctor said, turning back to the man. "Care to illuminate that?"

"Those people are scumbags, they are not good people in the slightest." The man insisted. "They don't deserve the public to see them as 'good people' because they are not good people! They'll just hold back the world we're trying to create."

Ravens mouth shifted as memories of her life in Azarath moved in front of her. No matter how 'good' she was, the monks had already condemned her as evil. Even as a teen, she'd lost her temper and lashed out one too many times that the monks saw her as irredeemably evil. She then remembered Jurus, the man who wanted to seal her in limbo because of what he feared. She tried to keep her emotions in check, but her lack of meditation practise was making it difficult.

Her eyes moved to the people trapped in the metal slabs. She wondered. Were they really evil? All of them? Or was that just how the Mistress saw them? Would she want to seal her in carbonite too if she found out her heritage, or what she was destined to do?

"How does that make you better than the people you call tyrants?" The Doctor argued back.

"Because I want a better tomorrow for everyone." The guy quickly snapped back.

"Yes, yes. Most tyrants do too." The Doctor said.

The Doctor then bounded to a curtain around the Master Brain, but the Master of the Land of Fiction quickly stood in the Doctors way. "It's funny, how I've accused you of the Mistress's crimes and yet you talk like it's your plan all along." The Doctor looked directly into the guys eyes.

Raven's eyes looked to the curtain. _Time to see who the man behind the curtain is._ Using her powers she parted them.

A woman behind the curtain shrieked as she was exposed.

* * *

 _Buzz, Buzz, Buzz, Buzz._

Vibrated Rachels phone. Typical, she's about to unveil the Mistress of the Land of Fiction and she gets a call. It was Garfield. She really didn't want to talk to him, but the phone continued to vibrate.

Eventually she gave up and answered it.

"What?!" She said down the receiver.

"Rae..." Garfield sounded like he was on the brink of crying. "Rae..." Garfield was never like this.

"Whoa, calm down, Gar." Something must be wrong. "What happened?"

"It's Terra. She's been taken away." Garfield said. "They're going to destroy her." He didn't sound like he was joking.

"Gar, if this is a joke, I will strangle you." Rachel felt her toes tighten, waiting to hear him nervously giggle with laughter. But it never came.

"A man came today. He said Terra had viciously attacked a girl and they took her away. They think she's dangerous... they're going to put her down!"

"They can't do that, surely?!" Rachel waited for Garfield to say, 'don't call me Shirley', but it didn't come.

"It was Dolores!" Garfield said. "I saw her across the street. Bandages around her arms and cuts on her face. Rachel, Terra never caused them, she wouldn't."

Garfield didn't need to go on. Rachels blood began to boil. _The petty, evil bitch!_

"Rae, what can I do?" Garfield asked.

"Stay calm. There must be some way to appeal?" Rachel reasoned. "I'll ask my Dad, he might know what to do."

"You think?" Garfield sounded hopeful. But Rachel didn't want to give him false hope if her Dad couldn't do anything.

"I'll ask, and I'll let you know." For the rest of the night, Rachel and Garfield just talked. Rachel had only ever known one side of Garfield. His goofball side that always tried to make her laugh. She never realised there was this vulnerable side to him. She did wonder why he phoned her and not Richard or Victor? But she didn't ask.

After the call Rachel didn't feel like continuing her story, under her cool exterior she was too upset.

* * *

After talking to her Dad Rachel found out there was an appeal process, but come morning at school Garfield was absent from the first class.

Worried, Rachel sent him a text to ask where he was.

Richard and Victor sat down opposite Rachel. Stella walked in, and walked past the three of them and went to sit with Dolores, Maria and her two goons.

Dolores was nursing her fake wounds and bandages. The wounds looked real enough, but she certainly didn't have them when she left Garfield's house. So they must've been self-inflicted. It boggled Rachels mind how someone could be so sick.

How could Stella sit with Dolores after what she'd done to Garfield's dog?!

Her phone vibrated as Doctor McCoy began talking to them about film studies, and had brought up a reference movie to watch called Dirty Harry.

Dolores shifted uneasily when Doctor McCoy talked about a scene where the bad guy of the movie paid a man to beat his own face to a pulp so he could later claim the cop Harry had done it, so he could generate a media buzz large enough to force the officers suspension from the force.

While his back was turned Rachel snuck a look at her phone. It was just three words, from Gar, and they weren't good news.

"Terra's been destroyed!"

The dog can't have been destroyed that quick!

Later, at lunch, Rachel finally caught up with Stella as she came down the stairs, without Dolores.

"Hey Stell." Rachel said in greeting.

"Hello Rachel." Stella said.

 _Just 'Rachel'. Not 'Friend Rachel'_ she noted.

"Terra has been put down." Rachel said.

"Oh no, that is truly awful. How is Garfield taking it?" Stella asked with genuine concern.

"How do you think?" Rachel spat a little aggressively. They were silent for a few moments.

"Excuse me, Rachel. But I must..."

"Why are you hanging out with Dolores?" Rachel asked, "It was just me, Victor and Richard today."

"Dolores is a friend. I feel she needs guidance and protection." Stella said like a protective mother with a child.

"Dolores got Terra destroyed!" Rachel said.

"You can't know that." Stella shot back.

"How did she get those wounds?" Rachel asked.

"She said she fell down some stairs." Stella said.

"Is she willing to put that on record?" the goth girl challenged.

"What is your problem with her?" Stella asked at last.

"I don't have a problem. I've never had a problem with her. She's had a problem with me from the start!" Rachel insisted.

"The world does not revolve around you, Rachel." Stella said. What did that have to do with anything?

"You've seen the way she reacts to me. She practically follows me around!" Rachel insisted.

"From what I have seen!" Stella flared up, "Dolores gets upset only when you are involved. It is always you who pushes her, and eggs her on." Rachel couldn't believe Stella had said that. It took her a minute to regain some composure.

"Only because she keeps following me around. She won't go away when I tell her too. She won't leave me alone!" Rachel insisted. "I make it obvious, and rather than go away, she insists on talking back to me. Then insults me. Of course its going to escalate."

"You could always walk away." Stella suggested.

"I do, she follows. Haven't you noticed?!" Rachel was getting annoyed. How could Stella think she was the problem?

"Rachel, I'm sorry. But Dolores needs protection and nurture, not your sarcastic tongue." Stella said and began to walk away.

"She still caused Terra's death, no matter if you deny it." Rachel said.

"Then perhaps you should consider if it was actually your fault!" Stella shot back, "if you hadn't upset Dolores, she wouldn't have stormed out, opened the wrong door, have Terra jump on her, injure herself, become paranoid and get the dog destroyed."

"Stella, listen to yourself! Does that sound reasonable?!" Rachel flared, but Stella looked stubborn. "You went after her when she stormed out of the house. Did she have any wounds on her, whatsoever?!"

Stella paused, and thought. "Umm... no, but that doesn't mean she didn't have any."

"Cuts, blood, gashes? The one now on her face would've been obvious!" Rachel insisted.

Stella finally looked unsure. Surely, she must've noticed a cut had mysteriously appeared on Dolores's face between leaving Garfield's house and turning back up at school.

"Are you suggesting she did those wounds to herself? Like in the movie of Harry who is Dirty?" Stella asked as if this was ridicules. "That is just a fiction. I do not believe anyone would be so twisted as the man in the movie."

"You don't think people are capable of hurting themselves? Faking injuries? Ever faked being sick to get out of school?" Rachel argued.

"I'm sorry, Rachel. But you are delusional." Stella said.

"Stella, you know sometimes you can be a naive idiot. You've let that bitch crawl inside your head." Rachel spat.

"Or maybe I'm seeing you for the first time!" Stella shot back. "An evil little narcissistic creature who thinks everything happens around them!"

That cut right to the core of Rachel, so deep the blade was still sticking inside her.

"You want to be friends with that bitch?!" Rachel fumed, "Fine! But don't come crying to me when she throws you overboard!"

"Stop playing innocent Rachel. I've seen your mob go after Dolores. Or is that somehow self inflicted too?" Stella accused.

"What mob?" Rachel questioned.

"Your fans who read your story. You sent them to troll Dolores's story." Stella accused.

"I did no such thing!" Rachel insisted. "Dolores has been sending people to troll 'my' story."

"I don't believe you!" Stella said back.

"Check my review section!" Rachel said, "There are thousands of reviewers telling people how rubbish my story is and to check out Dolores's story. Some even telling people how to get to it. I never sent anyone to her story. Her own followers advertised it perfectly well, you couldn't miss it!"

Stella looked like she'd never considered this. But she stood firm in her conviction, and her judgement of Rachel.

"If those kinds of people read your story, then maybe..." Stella began, but Rachel cut her off.

"You mean like the kind of people who read Dolores's story, and then comment on mine?" Rachel fired back in frustration. God, how could Stella be so stupid?!

"I'm sorry, Rachel. But I feel we can no longer be friends." Stella said, "You are too..." She searched for the word "Toxic." She settled on.

"You learnt that from Dolores didn't you?" Rachel called out. "Fine! Go be with the bitch." Rachel fumed. "I knew it was a mistake to think anyone could be my friend!" Without looking Rachel spun on her heel and walked as fast as she could. She went into the girls toilets and locked the door, collapsed onto the toilet seat, and finally, she let it out.

Tears welled up and fell down her face. How could things have gotten out of hand without her realising?

She'd never felt so miserable. Not in a long time.

Rachel couldn't wait to go home. When she did her Dad and Mom wanted to know what was wrong. She'd told them and they were both sympathetic and supportive. God, she loved her parents.

When she went upstairs her blood began to boil again as she activated her laptop, and opened the next chapter for the Lost Child of Azarath. It was now the only thing that could bring her any joy.

Okay, if Dolores really was going to play dirty, then it's time for the Mistress to finally enter the story. With her fingers poised over the keys like she was about to claw at something Rachel began to type.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** This was heartbreaking to write but I hope I've written the destruction of Stella and Rachels friendship well.

Stella does think Dolores could be a better person. But Dolores isn't interested in getting better, and from a certain point of view, you could argue Rachel was always the aggressor, though barely. But Dolores was always out to cause trouble and then whinge about it.

The idea with the Raven/Doctor part at the top essentially is the replication and replacement storyline. But stemmed from the idea of 'what if people could be forced to act more the way a person sees them?' So if you meet someone on the train, they bump into you, and you call them an arsehole and in your frustration start imagining how twisted and nasty that person must be. (We've all been there. ;P ) What if you could alter that person's personality and force it to be more in line with the person your bad mood has conjured up? Because I think at some point in our lives we've met a person we've had negative views of only to be surprised they are not at all how we'd imagined them to be.

The Mistress's plan does sound convoluted, I admit. But then as you'll find her motivation isn't exactly focused.

Strap yourselves in, because things are going to start coming together.

Cheers :D


	57. Chapter 56 The Demon in an Angel suit

**Authors notes:** Based on some feedback, and upon listening to the FFnet reader read it back to me, I went back into the previous chapter to do some edits. Mostly revolving around how the Doctor came across when talking to the fake Master. It wasn't very clear that the Doctor was testing the fake Masters' personality akin to how the Second Doctor tested Omega in 'The Three Doctors.'

This chapter was surprisingly difficult to write because I kept re-drafting and re-drafting it to get the Mistress just right. The tone I'm going with is someone who thinks they're good, outwardly appears to be good, but can't tell they're just a nasty, bossy, bully underneath. With a kind of Stalen-esk, delusional way of thinking to her. I also wanted to get the Doctor right so he sounds wise, but not preachy. So hopefully I've struck the balance just right. There was also a lot to unpack at once, which made this all the harder.

In fact, I might make further edits after I've listened to it a few times on the FFNet reader to tighten up the flow of the story, and because I suspect I may have repeated myself from the last chapter. I'll keep you guys abreast of any changes in the next update. ;)

As always, feedback is appreciated. So feed my back. ;) :P

Cheers

* * *

 **Chapter 56**

 **The Demon in an Angel suit.**

The Doctor and the man turned to see a plump little woman wearing some kind of head-gear that was wired up to the Master Brain computer. She went red as she caught sight of Raven and the Doctor. Under her helmet she also had a shock of blue hair.

"Don't pay any attention to the woman behind the curtain." The Doctor said pushing past the man, who then popped out of existence, his existence invalidated. "The Mistress, I take it."

The woman shrank away. She then looked at Raven, then back to the Doctor before she found some courage.

"I am the Mistress of the Land of Fiction, yes." She said proudly, getting to her feet. It couldn't escape Raven's notice that this woman looked almost exactly like the Imposter, and that other one, Gargal girl. Raven disliked her instantly.

The Doctor looked at where the male counterpart once stood and nodded. "What was with the substitute? Let me guess." The Doctor said, "Trying to fool me into thinking you'd already gone. It could've worked, if you made your counterpart a little less transparent."

"I did it because I thought you'd take him more seriously than me." The Mistress said. The Doctor looked unsure.

"Why ever would you think that?" The Doctor asked. Raven sighed, she knew, the guy looked more respectable than her, more confident and competent. But it was just surface aesthetics. Underneath he wasn't as cool or smooth, he acted just like how Raven expected the Mistress to act, going from the behaviour of the Imposter. But the Mistresses answer wasn't what Raven expected.

"Because he was a man." she said simply.

The Doctor was stunned into silence. "That's it?" He asked, the Mistress nodded, fixing the Doctor with a look Raven didn't understand. "What makes you think I'd take the male more seriously? You didn't, did you, Raven?" He asked.

"No, I still thought he was a lunatic." Raven added.

"The only reason the fictions hate me is because I am a Mistress, not a Master!" She said.

"Of course it is." Raven rolled her eyes.

"We've been hanging out with the resistance for a good few days." The Doctor said, "That's not why they're against you."

"I'm sorry, Doctor. But you're just ignorant." The Mistress dismissed rather arrogantly.

"It honestly wouldn't be the first time." Raven added. The Doctor waved her to be quiet. Raven smirked under her hood, she'd gotten her jab in.

"They're against you because you're treating them badly. You're treating them like cattle, trying to force them to be the way you want them to be. They're evolving you see, becoming more three dimensional, more individual from their cannon. They're slowly gaining sentience."

"The fictions? They're just fictions. Stories. Nothing more. Creations of a childish imagination." The Mistress crossed to the table, looked at Mjolnir and wrapped her hand around it. But as she tugged it refused to move. "They're nothing, and there's nothing wrong with them adapting to the times." She grasped the hammer with both of her hands and struggled to move it. "Come on, damn it, I am worthy!" she strained.

"Indeed not." The Doctor said, answering her former statement. "Some characters, indeed are of the times, but that's no excuse for what you're doing to them."

The Doctor then turned to wave his arms at the slabs of Carbonite around them.

"And I don't think these people appreciate being replaced either." The Doctor said.

"They needed to be replaced, so a glorious new world can be created." The Mistress insisted, climbing onto the desk to try to attack the hammer from another angle, but again it refused to move. "One free of inequality, prejudice and bigotry."

"And that sounds marvellous." The Doctor said. "Unfortunately, I can't allow you to continue, not like this."

The Mistress's face dropped and she stopped yanking on the hammer. "What?" she gave the Doctor a dark look. "You stand against me? Against equality, and peace?" She jumped off the desk, the ground shook as she landed.

"I don't stand against your aims, just the means you're using." The Doctor said, "You see, you were brought here to govern the Land of Fiction. You've agreed to this. You have power over this fictional world. You were not brought here to use the powers of this position to meddle with the real world."

"Then what's the point?"The Mistress asked, "I thought I could create, alter fictions to be better, more modern."

"Leave that to remakes." The Doctor sounded like he was joking, but Raven didn't understand the context.

"Anything I create here never appears in the real world." The Mistress complained, "It's isolated here, and exists only because of me. They never get public exposure."

"Thank god." Raven said just high enough to be heard.

"You thought if you created something in here it'd somehow spontaneously appear on the Television?" The Doctor asked.

"Exactly. So what's the point of this power if I can't use it to do any good? If I can't better society through it?" The Mistress said. "That's why I took the role. I thought I could influence the world through media. Teach the world and the people in it to be better people."

"Yes, Albert Speer had a similar idea." The Doctor commented. Again, the context was lost on Raven.

"But then I found out how I got here, and I realised fictions could exist in reality. So I came up with a plan." The Mistress smiled, "The problem with the world is that you can't always tell who are the good guys and who are the bad guys. Sometimes the bad guys hide in sheep's clothing."

"Yes, and sometimes the good guys have a rougher shell and odd company." The Doctor added, but the Mistress didn't seem to acknowledge it.

"But me and my friends back in the real world, we could tell who was better for society and who was worse. So I thought, 'Why not take people who I know are bad, and replace them with versions who wear their badness on their sleeves? Why not expose them?!" The Mistress said gleefully as if this was a great plan. "Public opinion will turn against them and what they stand for."

"I see." The Doctor said, though he didn't sound convinced. "And you're sure the evil in their hearts exists? It wasn't just your perception of them?"

"Everyone else knew they were evil and corrupt. Are you telling me all those people had it wrong?"

"Argumentum ad populum." The Doctor muttered under his breath. "It's possible they were corrupt, find me a politician who isn't. So you brought them here, and did what?"

"I imprison them, locked them away for their crimes."

"Which are?" The Doctor prompted.

"Numerous, hateful stuff, you name it." The Mistress said vaguely. The Doctor nodded, but decided not to push the point.

"But..." he said, "Why not just replace them with better people? With good, redeemed versions of themselves? Surely that would work better."

"Because what they stood for is evil, public opinion must be swayed against them if society is to progress. Can you imagine Daleks being good? It's preposterous."

"Preposterous, but I hold out hope they could change for the better, no matter how unlikely that is. If they did, I'd welcome the change." The Doctor said. "I'd be willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, no matter how small that doubt is."

"You are a fool! Daleks are evil, just evil, they'll always be evil! and even if they become good they still need to pay heavily for the destruction they've caused in the past! Just like these Daleks here!" The Mistress said, referring to the people in Carbonite. She then kicked one of the carbonite slabs squarely in its crotch. She paused and looked so infuriated that the frozen guy didn't yell in pain that she did it again, and again. "They're evil, evil people!"

"Even the actor Ronald Lamar?" The Doctor questioned, "He's evil too?"

"No, but he's ignorant, and he used his position to spread his ignorant views." The Mistress said.

"He was only asked his opinion in an interview." The Doctor replied.

"Such views plant the seeds of evil and allow it to spread!" The Mistress moaned, now giving up her attack on the slab. "He wouldn't apologise for what he said, so I treated him like any other Dalek! If your views could allow people to become Daleks, then you are part of the problem. FACT!"

"Oh, of course, let the punishment fit the crime." The Doctor said with sarcasm.

Something was bugging Raven though.

"And what crime has the Doctor committed for him to be 'replaced?'" Raven asked.

"That's a fair point. Nobodies perfect, but I never thought I was evil." The Doctor shrugged and looked to Raven. "Am I?"

"Of course not!" The Mistress said, "You're known as a beacon of light. A wise, kind, generous person. Someone who fights evil and oppression, and the most tolerant man in the universe." She sounded like she greatly admired the Doctor. "In fact, before I came here I was the head of LINDA. Your biggest fan group." She looked away, a little embarrassed.

The Doctor did not look impressed at the mention of LINDA.

"Yet, you still want to replace him." Raven brought the conversation back to focus.

"No, not replace, exactly." The Mistress looked sheepish, "But I wanted the Doctor to pay attention to battles he doesn't fight. Toppling a dictator is all well and good, but if the right people don't assert power we eventually just get another dictator and it starts all over again. I wanted the Doctor to help out politically, to make sure the right people get into public office. This wise man would show up, proclaim his support for the right people, the approval rating would ensure the elections. We'd never need to have another dictator or evil president ever again."

Looking to the Doctor, Raven noticed he started shaking his head.

"LINDA have asked me to do this before. I'm sorry, I can't do it." The Doctor said.

"Why? Why not? You do it all the time. Why not ensure peace and harmony is achieved by keeping us on track?!"

"Because I can't hold the Universes hand through everything." The Doctor explained. "Planets have to learn to grow up. People have to have a choice. If people were just going to vote for whoever I throw my support to, then what's the point of an election? You might as well just ask me to pick for you."

"That wouldn't be a bad idea." The Mistress said.

"It would be a terrible idea!" The Doctor said, "The people should be allowed to make up their own minds, not have them swayed through the Argument from Authority. Especially not my authority. I make mistakes. I've misjudged people."

"But you're the perfect person!"

"No, I'm really not." The Doctor held up his hands as if to refuse an offer, "because I don't have to live with the consequences of my decision. I wouldn't be under that government's rules and laws. I could just disappear in the TARDIS and easily go somewhere else, not everyone can do that. I'm like a tourist who gets to fly back home somewhere else afterwards."

"Doctor, people can't be trusted. They're stupid, easily scared and manipulated, delusional, prejudice, hateful. They need be told!"

 _Oh, hello pot, meet kettle._ Raven thought.

"I'm sorry. It's not my job to change people. That's up to the society itself to evolve and grow up." The Doctor shook his head. "I can only lead you to the cross-roads. It's up to them which direction they take."

"But..." but Raven cut across the Mistress.

"You still imprisoned the Doctor in a jig-saw." Raven said. The Doctor may have forgotten or forgiven that. But Raven certainly had not, and it was the one thing that made her hate the Mistress still. She dared to mess with Ravens things. Mess with her Doctor.

"Alright, alright. I'm sorry." The Mistress said, "That might have been a tad overbearing of me. I just didn't want the Doctor to think I was a bad guy and start fighting against me."

"Yeah," Raven spoke, "and turning him into a jig-saw really painted a rosy picture of you."

"You could've talked to me." The Doctor said, "I'm a very open kind of guy."

"Okay, I'm sorry." The Mistress's head dropped. "It was... just easier for me."

"Who else have you kidnapped to hijack their reputation?" Raven asked.

"No... no one." She'd hesitated, but there was the ring of truth. But more like she'd considered it, but had never gotten around to it.

"Doctor, I just want to make the world a better place." The Mistress said, she sounded like she was winding down, defeated.

"I know you do, we all do. But you can't do it this way, and you can't do this to the fictions of this world." The Doctor said softly, "I think now we can start putting things right."

"Putting things right?" The Mistress asked perking up again.

"Yes. I'll send you home, find a new Master or Mistress for the Land of Fiction. Release and return these poor people in carbonite back to where they came from, and Raven and I shall shoot off again in the TARDIS."

"No!" The Mistress said, "I'm not letting you undo all my work!"

"Well, I'm sorry. But I can't let you just play around with the Universe like its a game of the Sims, I can't just let you swap out people you don't like to manipulate the Universe, and I can't let you keep terrorising the inhabitants of this world."

"They're just fictions, Doctor!" The Mistress said, "They're Frickin' fictions. They're not real! Why do they need governing? A few strokes of a pen and they can be pacified. It's easy."

"And yet you've found a way to screw it up!" Raven commented harshly. The Doctor waved for her to be quiet, she was just making the Mistress angry.

"I won't let those bullies win against me!" The Mistress spat. Suddenly the Mistress grasped Mjolnir again and fought with it, but the fictional hammer, still bound by the laws of its own fiction, refused to acknowledge the Mistress of all Fiction as 'worthy,' whatever that meant. "They started this war, no way am I going to let them win!"

"Why would it even matter to you?" Raven asked as she watched a grown woman fight with a hammer. From Raven's perspective holding a grudge was pointless and childish, and did nothing but stir up pointless emotions and cause more problems.

"Because they're bullies and need to be taught a lesson." The Mistress shouted. Upon failing to lift the hammer she instead decided to kick it. Which resulted in nothing but the Mistress injuring her foot. She hopped around a little as her anger began to boil over. "I'll make them pay. I'll make them all pay. The World of Fiction will bend to my will." The Mistress said moving over to a laptop on the desk. "I'll start by re-writing that stupid hammers rules so I can move it!"

"This is just childish, petty revenge!" The Doctor said.

"Doctor, give up." Raven said, "The girl's a delusional idiot!"

"A delusional idiot with the powers of a god in this world. Raven stop her." The Demon girl smiled.

"With pleasure." With a wave of Raven's hand the Mistress came to a stop just as she was about to type something onto a laptop on the desk. She was shrouded in dark energy and was as immobile as Mjolnir.

"What's happening?" She asked in a panic.

"You're not the only one with powers." Raven said, her glowing eyes focused on the Mistress.

"What the hell are you?" The Mistress asked, her face flushing red with rage.

"I am Raven, and you will obey me!" Raven said in a threateningly low hiss.

"Steady on now." The Doctor said, turning away from Raven. He went to the Master Brain-Computer and began tinkering with it.

"How can you let him do this?" The Mistress asked. "I thought he was one of the good guys!"

"He does what he thinks is right. Frankly, I agree with him." Raven said, having met the Imposter and Gargal girl Raven felt like she had a good handle on who the Mistress was. "I met a depressed man who once thought he was a monster trying to be good. You've got the opposite problem. You're an arrogant narcissist who can't separate her ideology from herself."

"I just want to make the world a better place!" The Mistress said.

"You want the power to boss people around. To be arrogant, cruel and horrible, and have a reason to get away with it." Raven said, her eyes drilling into the Mistresses. "You hide behind the image of a 'Good Person.' Maybe you even believe you are. But inside, you are nothing more than a common bully."

The Mistress clearly didn't like to be called a bully.

"And a hypocrite." Raven added.

"Hypocrite?!" The Mistress questioned.

"The Imposter is how you'd be as the Doctor?" The Mistress nodded. Raven had sensed the Imposters feelings towards certain species in the world. "And yet after everything you've just said. I know the Imposter hates humans, Time Lords, Tamaraneans and..."

"Only for what they've done." The Mistress countered. "The species they've tried to oppress, the people they've hurt. Don't you think those poor, oppressed species deserve some justice for what was done to them?"

"Justice?" Raven asked.

"Against the aggressor species, Yes! We should all be responsible for our species crimes, that's how we can make sure we become a better people. If we can all be punished for the crimes of our fellow Humans then it will force all Humans to be good people because they'd never, ever tolerate the bad people."

Ravens dislike for the Mistress deepened. This sounded like the offspring being responsible for the parent's crimes. Of course, that echoed in Raven. Only this version applied to an entire species, no matter who they were individually. Raven already hated being treated like she was responsible for what all demons have done to the real world, so she certainly wasn't going to accept a philosophy that hoisted the collective crimes of an entire species at her feet either.

More disturbing to Raven, was that the Mistress, being a human herself, appeared to be okay with this. Well, just because the Mistress was happy with that philosophy it didn't mean Raven had to be.

"Stop talking"

"Surely, you want people to be good?" The Mistress asked.

"Stop talking." Raven had had enough of her.

"Don't you think its a great idea?"

"Stop talking." Raven said flatly.

"But I..."

"Stop talking, now!" Raven said more firmly.

Raven could express and explain why she disliked that philosophy. But if the Mistress found out who Raven's father was she'd probably insist that her philosophy clearly works, never mind the suffering in Raven's soul, that wouldn't matter to her, at all. The suffering of the individual wouldn't matter.

To end the discussion Raven said only one thing. "People should never be responsible for the crimes of others." Raven said.

"That's just a Straw-man of the philosophy!" The Mistress squirmed defensively. She'd said that a little too fast as if it's something that's been said to her before, and that was a knee-jerk response. Yet, weirdly she didn't explain why it was a Straw-man, and Raven didn't want to listen anyway.

After a little time had passed the Mistress said. "Think about the species that have been trampled on. Don't they deserve justice? Don't they deserve to get their own back?!"

Raven was silent. She just stared at the Mistress like someone with a squirming rodent in her hands.

"You don't understand me at all!" The Mistress squirmed in rage. "Nobody understands me, the world is just evil! You're all just a bunch of bullies!"

 _Oh my god, does this woman never stop moaning?!_ Raven thought. This woman was going to shut up, one way or another.

Out of earshot of the Doctor Ravens form began to morph a little into something nightmarish. The woman was, indeed, stunned into silence. "You made the biggest mistake of your life when you messed with my stuff!" Raven spoke softly so the Doctor couldn't hear. She stood over the Mistress and tried to drill this idea into her head. "The Doctor is mine, the Time Lord mortal belongs to me. Try to take him from me again and I will rip your soul from your body and shred it like so much confetti!"

The Mistress shivered but managed to summon enough courage to say. "The Doctor is not your property!"

"I beg to differ." Raven smiled with her now sharp teeth. "You get one warning. Leave us alone. Or I'll come back and..." her long fingers played over the Mistress's face, "...play!"

Raven's body shrank back to its usual form as the Doctor turned to face them. He saw nothing.

"Doctor, your companion is a nasty piece of work!" The Mistress shouted to the Doctor.

"She can be cold and intimidating." The Doctor looked over to them, wires in his hand. "But her bark is worse than her bite."

Facing away from the Doctor and towards the Mistress Raven smiled with sharp teeth and glowing white eyes again. "Confidentially, he's never felt my bite." Raven said quietly and her powers sharply squeezed the Mistresses intestines, and a mixture of fear and anger flowed from her.

And Raven was enjoying it.

* * *

Rachel rubbed her eyes, she was tired and she could feel her creative juices begin to exhaust, but she was determined to finish this story tonight.

Reading it back to herself Rachel tried to force a little more 'Dolores' into the Mistress. But as she tried her mind just kept ringing and ringing as if telling her _'that's not how it happened'_.

She gave up, she was too tired and instead wrote the ending.

* * *

Back in the TARDIS now. Raven in her reading chair and the Doctor again at the controls of the TARDIS, all was well in Raven's world. The Mistress had been replaced, a new Master of the Land of Fiction was found.

It was another crisis sorted, and Raven felt strangely proud with herself for saving an entire dimension this time from who, in her opinion, was a ruthless tyrant. Good at heart, but a tyrant. Though maybe the Mistress did have some good points.

Stretching, Raven got up and yawned.

"Tired?" The Doctor asked.

"I'm just glad to get away." Raven said. "I hated that world."

She walked past the Doctor and deeper into the bowels of the TARDIS.

"Nighty-Nighty, Raven." The Doctor said.

"Nighty-Night, Doctor." Raven said, and soon she was curled up in her own bed.

* * *

 _Something was wrong._ Rachel thought, rubbing her eyes again. She must be tired. This didn't feel right.

Strangely, she had more to write, and as she did Rachel began to get a strange sense of Deja vu.

* * *

"Rachel! It's time to get up!"

 _Rachel?_ Raven stirred in her bed. _Who is Rachel?_ She was still half asleep.

Raven rolled over in her bed and tried to go back to sleep. But a sharp, BANG, BANG, BANG at her floor made her snap her eyes open. It sounded like someone was thumping something long and thin into the underside of the floor of her room.

"Rachel, you're going to be late for school!"

School?! Wait, where was she exactly?

Raven sat up in a bed, and she meant 'A' bed because this certainly wasn't hers. It was like hers, but subtly different. The room was decorated in a very goth and Victorian style. Statues of Ravens and dark and creepy looking things were everywhere.

* * *

 _What the hell am I writing?_ Rachel wondered as she looked around her room. She'd just described her own room. _Oh great, I'm trying to connect my character to me now._ She sighed, highlighted the block of text and she hit delete. She then tried writing it again.

 _'"Rachel! It's time to get up!"_

 _Rachel? Raven stirred in her bed. Who is Rachel? She was still half asleep._

 _Raven rolled over in her bed and tried to go back to sleep. But a sharp, BANG, BANG, BANG at her floor made her snap her eyes open. It sounded like someone was thumping something long and thin into the underside of the floor of her room.'_

Rachel was writing the same thing again?! No. This wasn't right. Rachel sighed deeply, deleted it and started again. But still, she wrote the same thing! Things must really be getting to her. Maybe she should stop for now.

Hitting delete again on that part she re-read what she'd written, hit save and went to post it up on the internet.

But something felt off. It was like the ending in the TARDIS was too easily wrapped up. Like there was more to tell. Rachel had more ideas, but for some reason she just couldn't coax it out of her head.

The Mistress broke free of Ravens powers somehow. That sounded right, and she... she did something that caused Raven and the Doctor to... to...

Sighing, Rachel went back into the file, chopped off the ending she'd written and decided she'd finish it later. She couldn't release the chapter like it was now, it felt unfinished. But she'd ran out of creative steam for now.

 _'Zagreus sits inside your head,_

 _Zagreus lives among the dead_ _,'_

 _Huh?_ Rachel thought. A shiver went down her spine.

Something was in here with her.

 _'Zagreus sees you in your bed,_

 _and eats you when you're sleeping.'_

Slowly she turned. There was a shadow in the corner. The shadow had big, purple eyes that were looking at her intensely.

The figure came towards her. It was about her height and it felt like the thing was struggling to keep itself in existence. Like mist.

Suddenly a hand shot out and took Rachels face, it squeezed her cheeks firmly.

"Break the Wall." Said an unearthly voice. "Break the immersion."

Under its hood, and around its neck a silver serpent uncoiled and looked deep into Rachel's eyes. It slowly swayed from the shadowy girl's neck and it sang in a creepy, hypnotic, musical voice.

 _Oranges and Lemons,_

 _Say the Bells of Saint Clemons,_

"Break the Wall, Break the immersion." She felt like those words were being drilled into her head.

 _You owe me two farthings,_

 _Say the bells of Saint Martin._

"Break the Wall, Break the immersion."

"Break the Wall, Break the immersion."

"Break the Wall, Break the immersion."

Suddenly, Rachel was surrounded by darkness, the walls on either side were crushing her and no matter how hard she pressed they wouldn't yield. Whatever she was in she managed to force open a crack and she could see daylight.

 _"WAKEY WAKEY!"_

Her concentration faltered and the walls snapped shut on her again.

Rachel snapped awake as her mother drew the curtains. Rachel had fallen asleep at her laptop.

"Wakey wakey, Rachel." Mother said. "Time to get ready for school." She looked down at Rachel. "Are you okay, Rae Rae?" She said, using Dads pet name for her. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Just a bad dream." Rachel yawned. _Man, I must be really upset._

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors** **notes:** The reason Raven is becoming a little sadistic is that she can't properly meditate in the Land of Fiction to keep her darker side in check. So it's starting to seep out into her personality. Be prepared, because I'm going somewhere with this. ;)

The views of the Mistress are the views of that strange woman I mentioned at the start of this adventure, the one I went to University with. Some of the words and phrases are word for word what she said her own philosophy was, and I knew it was a philosophy Raven would greatly dislike, given her history, and how the Monks of Azarath treated her. I nearly cut it, but I realised it's relevant to Raven's dislike of her.

The woman also weirdly thought we'd take her ideas more seriously if a man said them. Which is where that came from. Some people will throw anything up to avoid the truth of a matter, better so if they can use it to paint you as a bad guy.

The reason the Doctor doesn't interfere with the politics of a planet, that he could leave and be safe in the TARDIS, is kind of echoed by the Mistress. She's safe in the Land of Fiction and never has to deal with the chaos and destruction her interference would cause.


	58. Chapter 57 Kill the Bully!

**Authors notes:** Hold on tight. We're entering into the End Game for this adventure ;) Which unfortunately means things are about to get a whole lot worse before they get better.

A slight warning that this chapter will feature some rather more violent forms of bullying. Just wanted to give fair warning.

* * *

 **Chapter 57**

 **Kill the Bully!**

Rachel got up, ate breakfast and again her Dad drove her to school in this noisy hunk of junk he called a car. She was quiet for most of the journey, that was until her Dad spoke up.

"You're very quiet." He said.

"Yes, I am." Rachel said, she really didn't want to talk about it.

"Is it about Stella?" He asked. Yes, she did want to talk about it, she could trust her Dad. This is what Dad's were for.

"How could she betray me? How could she think I am the problem?" Rachel said sadly.

"Stella's a good girl, but I think she looks for the good in everyone." Her Dad said.

"But Dolores isn't good." Rachel said.

"But she puts on the facade of a good person. She cloaks herself in good deeds so people don't look at the ugly monster underneath." Her Dad said.

"I thought all monsters would be easy to spot. That they'd be ugly, or something." Rachel shrugged. "Maybe have horns sticking out of their heads."

"Welcome to adult life." Her Dad said, "Sometimes demons want to get close to you so they can get you on their side, if they can't then they'll attack you because they fear you know their dirty little secret."

"What do you mean?" Rachel asked.

"I think Dolores really did want to be your friend." Her Dads said. _What utter crap,_ Rachel thought. "No seriously, I think she did, but when you blocked her on many occasions, she took it as a sign of rejection, and some people don't handle rejection well."

"I'll say, she had Garfield's dog put down!" Rachel said. Her Dad paused the conversation as he made a turn in the road and he watched for traffic. He sounded like he was thinking, but couldn't think of a good thing to say.

"That, indeed, was a monstrous thing to do." Her Dad said, "But I've got the feeling she did it ultimately to anger you."

"The world doesn't revolve around me." Rachel said flatly.

"But I think Dolores's world does revolve around you, and I don't think that's paranoia." Her Dad said.

"Stella won't believe me." Rachel said.

"Well, if she's so easily swayed against you, maybe you were better off not having her as a friend." That didn't make Rachel feel any better. "You'll make new friends. You still have Richard, Victor and Garfield."

"It's not the same." Rachel said, "Stella was like a sister to me."

"If you want a sister so badly, mum and me could try for another kid." Her Dad joked.

"Don't you dare!" Rachel snapped, "Because you aren't getting me to babysit." She smiled a little.

"Wouldn't you like a little brother or sister?" Her Dad mocked.

"Shoot me now." Rachel said flatly pointing her fingers to her head like a gun. Her Dad laughed. She laughed.

Rachel now felt a little better.

When she sat down for English class again something happened Rachel did not expect.

When Stella entered she walked straight past her and sat with Dolores. But when Richard and Victor entered they too walked past her and proceeded to some seats a few tables back, leaving Rachel on her own.

She looked around and down towards Victor and Richard, who looked like they were having a happy conversation without her. They sat down and got their books out and behaved like Rachel didn't exist.

"Hey Rae." Said someone she did not expect to be back so soon. Garfield was sitting down at her table. He'd lost some of the joyous mood he always had.

"Hey Gar." Rachel said, just happy to know at least one of her friends didn't desert her. It wasn't her first pick, but it was someone who stood by her. "Why aren't Richard and Victor sitting with us?" She asked, because it was possible it was something innocent.

"Oh... um..." Garfield looked sheepish, "They've got a secret you see, that... umm... they don't want us to know about."

Rachel's face dropped as she watched Garfield stumble through his words. "Gar, I know your panto face, just tell me."

"They've been told not to sit near you." Garfield said.

"Why?" Rachel asked.

"Haven't you been paying attention? Dolores's accusations have spread over social media. Plenty of people know about it, as do their parents."

Rachel looked to Victor and Richard. "So it's just their parents, they're still on my side?" Rachel asked.

"Umm..." Garfield murmured, "You'd better ask them that." He looked nervous, like what he'd say would deeply upset her.

"They don't think I'm bullying Dolores, do they?" Rachel asked.

"Well... umm..." Garfield scratched at the back of his neck. His silence said it all.

Rachel's head lolled forward and she caught it in her hands. Then she lifted her head up and said. "Fine, if they don't want to be friends anymore then I'm probably better off without them. I don't mind." She paused and said through gritted teeth as a little frustration escaped. "I'm delighted!"

"Hey, you've still got me!" Garfield said smiling a cheesy smile.

"I must be the luckiest girl in the world." Rachel said flatly.

"Oh. Well, I'll go now." and Garfield turned to move away from her. Instantly Rachel's hands were out and she grabbed the shrimp by his arm.

"Wait, don't go!" Rachel's face went a little red with what she'd just done and said. She held on until Garfield sat back down again.

They may not talk, they may not get on, and he may be irritating. But he was still her friend. She knew it wouldn't be the same. He was no Stella, no Victor, no Richard. But they both had something in common. Dolores had tried to mess with their lives.

"I don't blame you for Terra's death." Garfield said. For some reason that echoed down into Rachels core, as if that was something she so wanted to hear someone say.

"Thanks Gar." She said, and she gave him one of her rare smiles.

"Uhh... yeah... No offence, but you're out of practice." He joked.

A laugh escaped her and her face muscles relaxed into a different expression.

"Now that's a smile." Garfield said, "you should do it more often."

"Don't push it."

* * *

As the day went on it was as if school life, in general, was becoming a nightmare. A lot of the Doctor teachers were gone, they had been replaced. Doctor McCoy was gone and the original teacher was back and began lecturing them about 1984. About how keeping tabs on everyone would ultimately be good for society 'because bad people would never flourish in such a system of constant surveillance.'

Next to go was Doctor Hartnel. Replaced by some arrogant sounding teacher with a man-bun and beard who began teaching them about how plants could feel and react to human emotions. Rachel tried to contest this, but all she got was. "It's in a scientific study, that makes it fact!" and so the discussion was ended there and then. Dolores had sniggered at this.

Next was Mister Vales Mathematics class, which was fast becoming the most bearable class of them all.

At lunchtime, Rachel sat with Garfield, while Richard and Victor passed them, said 'hi' to Garfield, but blanked Rachel altogether. Rachel didn't bother to call them out. Outwardly she tried to remain emotionless, inside her soul was weeping.

As she talked to Garfield Rachel realised she knew more about Garfield than she knew about Victor and Richard, it was weird.

"I found Dolores's story." Garfield said, "and when I read it, I knew she was gunning directly for you."

"I wish the others could see it." Rachel said, before adding. "You're reading a story?"

"Hey, I said I read." Garfield said defensively.

"I'm sure that's one of the signs of the approaching Apocalypse." Rachel joked flatly.

"Hey!" Garfield squeaked before adding, "Dolores always intended to hurt Terra when she came to my house."

"What makes you say that?" Rachel asked.

"Because I read her story on that day, and she'd written how her character had gone to 'Rachels friends house', argued about a movie," Garfield shrugged, "winning over Rachel's friends to her side, but then 'Rachel' set a dog on her. Etc, etc."

"That was posted on the morning?" Rachel asked, astonished.

"Yeah, weird. It's like she wrote her entire plans out." Garfield said. Rachel got her phone out, found Dolores's story and went to a recent chapter marked as 'The Dogs Dinner.' and she read. Indeed, it was an almost perfect word for word description of what happened, and it was posted on the morning 'before' the event happened.

"But, that's proof she had malicious intentions." Rachel said, standing and looking for Victor, Richard and Stella.

"I wouldn't." Garfield said, "I showed them, but they won't listen." He turned to look at the three sitting with Dolores's gang. "It's like they're completely different people now, like something changed them overnight. You know, brain-washed. Like they've been abducted by Martians from the planet Venus and had their minds altered so they obey new masters."

Rachel wanted to hit Garfield for that stupid hypothesis, but she just settled for saying. "Shut up, Gar."

Why Dolores chose to write out her plans like this, Rachel didn't know. But if it was true then maybe Rachel could outsmart her. All she had to do was read ahead and find out what sadistic plans she had.

Scanning the recent page Rachels face began to drop.

"According to this, after school, I'm going to be attacked by a mob of Dolores's called 'Warriors Against Intolerance.'" They were going to beat her up and during the beating Rachel would relent, cry, apologise and then hand over her laptop, 'from which she types all hurting things,' as Dolores had written. After reading that, Rachel looked around and had the uneasy feeling people were watching her, keeping an eye on her as if to make sure of her exact location.

Rachel was scared.

"Don't worry, we..." he paused, "I won't let them hurt you."

Rachel looked at the shrimp up and down. She then said flatly. "Oh my hero."

When the end of school came Rachel and Garfield retreated to a quiet area in the library to study. The story said Rachel would be attacked as everyone was leaving school, so if they waited it out here then maybe they'd get bored and go home, allowing Rachel to slip past.

She'd called her Dad and told him what she feared might happen. He'd instantly wanted to call the police, but Rachel got the feeling it wouldn't be taken seriously.

Eventually, they were thrown out of the library and they walked out of school together. So far so good.

There were some kids milling around, jocks who'd just finished their football practice and were leaving the school too. Rachel doubted any of them would care about Dolores's feud with her. It looked like Rachel was in the clear and she could see her Dads purple beetle parked in the car park. She was almost home free.

"I'll get my Dad to give you a ride home." Rachel offered as a gesture of appreciation.

That was when Rachel felt something impact her on the back of the head so sharply that it forced her to the ground.

"Rae!" Garfield screamed, just before he was tackled to the floor and held down.

Rachel twisted to look up. There were several people standing around her with their gym bags in their hands. Their gym bags clearly contained their studded football boots. They rose them up and prepared to slam them down.

Rachel curled up into a ball, hand over her head as the bags came down. Pain, the pain! They rose the bags up and slammed them back down again, and the impacts just became repetitive. An almost unending pelting and she felt the studs of their boots. Sharply felt them.

As this barrage went on the group all chanted one slogan. "Kill the bully! Kill the bully! Kill the bully!" Over and over again.

 _I'm not a bully! I'm not the bully!_ Rachels mind screamed. She wanted to scream it too, but it would do no good. They'd decided she was the problem that needed to be dealt with.

"Kill the bully! Kill the bully! Kill the bully!" They chanted. Rachel wanted to reach out with her mind to push them away. To break them, to hurt them. But she wasn't Raven, she was Rachel, she had no defence against this.

Rachel risked looking out between this mobs legs, and she could see Victor, Richard, Stella. They were holding Garfield down while he struggled. They were just kneeling there watching this happen to her. She reached out for help, but they coldly looked at her as if they honestly believed she deserved this. Tears began to escape her eyes and roll down her cheeks. But again, they had no remorse for what was happening to her. She was a monster in their eyes.

The pelting stopped. The crowd parted and into the mob strode Dolores, smug as ever. She held out her hand.

"The laptop." She demanded.

Swallowing, Rachel swung her satchel off her shoulders, took the laptop out. But as Dolores reached for it Rachel hugged it to her and curled up on the floor. No way was she going to act as Dolores had written. If she wanted this laptop she had to fight for it.

The pelting began again. "Kill the Bully, Kill the Bully!"

As she felt her body being assaulted she felt Dolores's fingers grasp the edges of the laptop and tried to haul it out of her fingers. Rachel fought to keep it wrapped in her torso. It was pulled free, but Rachels outstretched hands still clung to it. The mob then began beating at her hands and arms forcing her to let go. Dolores had her laptop!

Nothing could be done as Dolores smashed it to the floor and proceeded to jump up and down on its keys and screen, destroying it.

The beating stopped again and Dolores strolled over to the battered and bruised Rachel. The bitch grabbed the goth girl by the hair and sharply tugged to make the skinny girl face the larger one.

"Now, where is the TARDIS?!" Dolores asked.

"Wha... what?" Rachel was dazed.

"Where is the TARDIS? It's in here somewhere! I know its hidden in here somewhere, but I can't find it. Where is it?!"

"The TARDIS is a fiction, a creation of mine." Rachel said weakly.

"It isn't!" and Dolores brought her fist forwards into Rachels face, breaking her nose. The mob cheered at the blow. "It's not your stupid car, it's not your house, it's not even in your room. So where is it? Where has this disgusting head of yours hidden it?!"

Dolores grabbed her hair again and made Rachel face her. When their eyes met Rachel had hawked back mucus into her mouth and she spat it right into Dolores's face.

She punched Rachel again and backed away. The mob proceeded to attack her again.

"Kill the Bully, Kill the Bully, Kill the Bully!" They chanted.

"STOP THIS, STOP THIS!" Shouted someone as two figures approached, fighting back the jocks.

"Don't you touch me, don't you touch me, don't you touch me!" Dolores screamed.

Rachel opened her eyes to see Doctor Pertwee and her Dad beating back the attacking jocks. Dolores had squared up to Doctor Pertwee and was screaming "Don't touch me!"

But then Dolores attempted to strike Doctor Pertwee. Bad move, as his body moved like a man highly trained in martial arts and quickly had Dolores in a lock. She screamed like she was in pain. "AHH, AHH, AHH, you're breaking my arm!" She screamed.

"I've merely locked your limbs." Doctor Pertwee said calmly, "I am not putting any pressure on them."

"AGGGHHHHH!" She whaled like a wild animals distress call. "He's going to break my arm, AGHHHH!" But the jocks were too wary of Doctor Pertwee to try to attack him.

Next thing Rachel knew her Dad was beside her, scooping her up into his arms and holding her tightly to him. He looked around at everyone, daring them to take a step closer to his daughter. Rachel just broke down, she cried, and she didn't care anymore if anyone saw her.

She'd never felt so miserable.

She then blacked out.

* * *

"I'll give you whatever you want!" The Mistress pleaded still held in place by Raven's powers, "What do you want? I can create it here for you! Just stop him."

"I don't want anything." Raven said flatly, "But to go home to the TARDIS." That was not true though. She wanted so many things, but they were things she could never have. She's not meant to have them. She was a demon, demons were not supposed to be happy.

"So you're a real person? With real powers?" The Mistress asked, she looked half terrified and half awed with her. "We could work together. Have you ever considered that? Do you want to be loved, thanked, appreciated?! Help me change the world for real, and people will love you, especially if I tag you in my posts."

Raven raised an eyebrow, she had no idea what this woman was talking about. But the motivation behind her personality suddenly became clear to Raven. She wanted appreciation, gratification, she wanted a childish 'pat on the head' for her deeds. "That might be your motivation, it's not mine."

"Don't you want to be liked?" The Mistress asked, and Raven sighed deeply at how silly this question was.

"I don't care what people think of me." Raven said slowly.

"But wouldn't you rather be a hero, than a villain?" The Mistress asked.

"I'm neither, nor do I want to be either. I'm just trying to live my life." Raven looked deep into the Mistress's eyes. "It's people like you who made me a 'villain.'"

Suddenly Raven sensed something, but it was far too late to do anything about it as she was flung across the room, impacting a bookshelf which emptied its contents down onto her.

When she was up and found her composure the demon girl found out she was surrounded by several characters, who all looked like the Mistress in some shape or form. One was the Imposter. Another one was Gargal Girl. Another was a character in a tight pair of overalls with a long cape, like a superhero. Another wore a tight yellow shirt with a pointy logo in the breast, black pants and had a laser gun in her hand. Another was in a brown robe and cloak and had a laser sword similar to Barriss's. The last one had the look of a detective about her, and she had picked up the Doctor and hauled him away from the Master-Brain.

All these characters were fictions the Mistress had clearly created, and they all looked like her. _God, she really has no imagination._

"I tried reasoning with you, Doctor. But if you stand in the way of my new world then I have no choice." The Mistress said.

"Let me guess, you're going to kill us? Torture us beyond our tolerances? Make us watch the unfunny bits of Monty Python?" He joked.

"You're still useful to me, Doctor." The Mistress said as she pulled up her laptop. "And I want the TARDIS from that creatures head." The Mistress gave Raven a nasty look. "If you will not join me, then I'll have to re-write you." She began typing.

"We're not fictions, we're real." The Doctor said, "You can't re-write us."

"We'll see." The Mistress finished typing and slammed her index finger on the last key.

Suddenly, the floor disappeared beneath the Doctor and Ravens feet. It happened too fast for Raven to activate her powers and both she and the Doctor fell into the darkness.

* * *

The Doctor and Raven landed in a large, white void which just seemed to go on forever and ever.

As Raven and the Doctor stood Raven saw their outlines become distorted, she felt like she'd turned to jelly.

"Doctor, what's happening?" It was like her experience of the world was trying to run through treacle.

"She's trying to fictionalise us. Hold on to something." The Doctor said. Before Raven could ask what the jelly effect stopped. But something had changed.

Raven looked at the sleeves of the jacket she was wearing. A dark green frock coat, a collared shirt, cravat, white trousers and shoes that fitted perfectly. She was in the Doctors clothes! And they had been adapted to fit her.

Raven then looked up at the Doctor. Who was now wrapped in a blue cloak which fell down around his shoulders. He was holding it closed from the inside.

She looked at the Doctor up and down as a smirk played across her face.

"Rae-Rae, don't you dare." The Doctor said. But Raven held up her hand and a gust of power forced the cloak to open so she could see the Doctor in similar well-fitted clothes to what she'd usually wear, bare legs and all.

She had to look away, her face was cracking up! She put her hands over her mouth to stop what was happening. She was going to burst out laughing at how silly the Doctor looked.

"Raven, this is serious!"

"Okay, I'm sorry." Raven said, fighting down her reaction and she turned to face the Doctor again. He'd shut the cloak, but Raven remembered what was under it, and she burst out laughing again. She just couldn't stop it. It was the silliest thing she'd ever seen.

"At least I now know you do have a sense of humour." The Doctor commented.

"I only wish I could preserve this moment," Raven said, smirking evilly.

"Swapping our clothes?" The Doctor shouted to the sky, "Is that the best you can do? You really have no imagination!"

Suddenly, the jelly effect started again. When it stopped their clothes had shifted.

They were both wearing robes, like the ones Barriss Offee wore. They both had laser swords and the Doctors hair had grown and he had a scar down his right eye. Feeling her own head Raven realised she was wearing some kind of fleshy-textured headdress. Except... no... when she pulled on it, it was actually attached to her skull! And looking at her hands, she was orange!

"What's going on?" Raven asked.

"She can't fictionalise us, because we're real." The Doctor said. "The best she can do is drop us into settings and fictions. She can re-write how we look and how we dress." The Doctor tapped the side of his head. "But the one thing she can't do is stop us thinking."

"Doctor, there is no way she can fictionalise us? Is there?" Raven asked. The Doctor didn't speak, he looked around as if wary the Mistress might be listening, but Raven took his reaction to mean, "Yes, there is a way."

Jelly again, and again they shifted.

The Doctor was now dressed in some kind of outdoor outfit, blue shirt and brown vest with plenty of pockets. Raven couldn't see what she looked like, but she kind of felt scabby.

The Doctor held up something in his hand, and when he pressed his fingers into it, the thing clicked.

Click, click, click.

That got Ravens attention and she stood at the ready for the pack Alpha to give instructions. _Pack Alpha?_

"Doctor, how do we get out of here?" Raven tried to say, but it came out as a high pitched squawking roar.

The Doctor suddenly jumped back briefly when he spotted her. "Raven? Is that you?"

"Of course it's me." Raven tried to say, but again she could only let out a snarl. She licked her sharp teeth, and wiggled her long tail in anticipation. She tapped a long, scythe-like claw on her big toes and her fingers rubbed her long claws together. She felt hungry, she wanted to hunt, to prey.

"Don't look in a mirror." The Doctor said.

"Why?" she tried to snarl.

Suddenly the jelly effect again and when it stopped the Doctor vanished. Raven was now in rags with a fez on her head.

"Doctor?" She asked. She felt a movement in her hands. She was holding a lamp. Getting the hint Raven rubbed it and shooting from its spout was the Doctor, glowing an electric blue with a wisp where his legs and lower body should be, connecting him to the lamp. He'd become a genie.

"Quick!" The Doctor said, "Try wishing to get out of here!"

But before a word could be uttered the jelly effect happened again. This time when they emerged the Doctor was back to normal, except he was a humanoid, brown tabby cat. Raven had become shorter and could see two white ears dangling in her field of vision. She was a humanoid rabbit.

"I'm getting annoyed with this." Raven said.

The Doctor was now an older man with white hair with a big, white moustache. He was wearing some kind of apron and had carving tools in his pockets.

Raven felt oddly stiff and dry. Holding up her hands she nearly screamed. Her hands were made of wood! A pale, grey kind of wood! Feeling her face, her head was also made of round, smooth wood, her eyes and mouth were painted on, and her nose was long and pointy, the same with her body and limbs. She was made entirely of wood, and she was wearing some kind of dungarees and a small cap. There were small strands of wire at her feet and hands. She was a puppet!

I've become Pinocchio!

"I'm really getting annoyed at this." Raven repeated.

Again, they switched.

Raven was human again, only she had white hair and was wearing robes that kind of looked Greek.

"Yes, it's starting to wear on my nerves as well." Said the Doctor, who now sported a beard to go with his hair, and he was now a dwarf, half the size of her and in his hand was a wine cup.

"Actually, I'm happy with this one." Raven smiled a little darkly down at him, though she was joking.

"She's got to realise we can't be fictionalised." The Doctor reasoned.

"And what if she doesn't?" Raven asked, kneeling down to put her on his level. "I doubt she'll let us go."

"Brave heart, Rae-Rae." The Doctor said.

Again they shifted.

The Doctor was back to his normal height, but his hair had gone white and wiry, and he was wearing very strange clothes. Raven, on the other hand, had some kind of jacket on which looked like a life-preserver, jeans and a skateboard in her hands.

"I could try releasing the TARDIS." Raven suggested.

"Don't you dare!" The Doctor said, "That could be what she's banking on. Release the TARDIS, she steals it away just as easily.

Shifted again. They were cartoons. Only the Doctor was tall, wearing glasses, had a big nose, an eye patch, a fez, and wore a black suit. Raven felt weird, like she had become two different people. Much shorter, one male one female. But when she spoke it was with an echo to her voice as if both spoke at the same time.

"Doctor, this is going to drive me insane!"

Another shift. This time they were back in their original clothes, but they had swapped genders. The Doctor was now a woman, and Raven was a boy. The sudden change made Raven feel uncomfortable, especially considering she was still in her original clothes.

"I've always wondered what it would be like to be a woman for a change." The Doctor said, looking at his form up and down.

"I can't say I've had the same thoughts," Raven commented, her voice now deeper and manly. She hated it. "Hey Doctor." Raven decided to ask, "Can Time Lords actually change gender while regenerating? Or is it just a fantasy of the Mistress's?"

"It's rare, not unheard of. Though it becomes more likely when you near the 12 regenerations limit." The Doctor said, looking at his slightly longer chestnut hair, "some say if the 13th regeneration was possible the change would almost be inevitable."

"Your people are so weird." Raven commented.

Suddenly the void went black, and the place went very cold.

"Was it something I said?" Raven asked.

She felt like jelly and when it stopped they were both back to normal. The Doctor was a frock-coat wearing, male Time Lord, and Raven was a leotard, cloak wearing female goth kid.

Something appeared in the void. It was like they were in a chasm which leads down, deep into a thick mist. A sense of dread seemed to come over Raven.

"Doctor, I don't like this." Raven said, looking into the mist. What sadistic game does the Mistress want to play now?

"Take my hand." The Doctor said, holding his hand behind him for Raven to take. "Just so we don't get separated." She hesitated, but placed her hand into his. He still felt so cold.

Gently, he began to lead them both down into the mist. Raven's senses were all open and scanning her surroundings for any hint of trouble. She couldn't sense any.

"I've felt this before, in the Tomb of Rassilon." The Doctor commented.

"What?"

"A feeling of dread, a tightness in the stomach." The Doctor said. "Just ignore it, like I do."

"Uh huh." Raven wasn't sure she could ignore it.

"Remember, Fear itself is partly an illusion." The Doctor said.

"Why are you telling me this?" Raven asked, a nasty suspicion coming over her.

"Oh, nothing, nothing. You don't have any fears by the way?" He asked.

"I don't do fear." She replied.

"That's a relief. Come on." He said as he lead her down into the mist. Behind the Doctor Raven's jaw was twitching a little.

Because Raven had actually lied.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** My explanation for why the Doctor never became a woman before 13 was because the change is rare, and is more likely to happen as you near the 12th regeneration. Though it wouldn't be unheard of for it to happen before. But with an extension to the regeneration cycle the chances of flipping become even higher because Time Lord biology was not meant to have its genetic code re-shuffled more than 12 times, after that it becomes more unstable. Or that's my explanation at least. :P


	59. Chapter 58, Nothing to Fear

**Chapter 58**

 **Nothing to Fear.**

The mist made Raven feel very cold, and not for the first time she wished she'd picked out clothes practical to adventuring in instead of just practical to her meditations.

The place was quiet except for their footfalls, and Raven had the uneasy feeling they were being watched. They probably were.

The lie Raven had told rolled in her head.

 _I'm not afraid, I'm not afraid._ She told herself.

She looked to the Doctor. But he did not look scared, he took things one step at a time.

Wait, why was Raven so concerned? She had powers to match the Mistresses! No matter what she threw at them Raven was sure she could protect them from it.

But after the first ten minutes of walking nothing had appeared at all.

Raven blew at the mist and watched the water vapour part. "What's she going to do? Vape us to death?" She asked dryly.

The Doctor didn't respond. He'd become as still as a statue.

"Doctor?" Raven asked, his hand was clamped down onto hers and she couldn't pull free. When she tried to make him let go she found... that the Doctor had turned to stone! He was just frozen in place while he looked up at something in the sky. "Doctor?!"

The mist began to part, red flames licking at what was approaching. Raven felt the intense heat as a large lava lake materialised in front of her. Out from this soup of molten rock rose a creature. A giant creature, with horns like a dears antlers, a face as red as Lucifer's, white hair, and it's eyes. It had four, glowing, red eyes.

The giant creature stood at an impressive height which made Raven and the Doctor like Lilliputians in its presence.

"The time has come, daughter of mine!" It said.

"No!" Raven looked up in horror and shook her head. "No!"

"It is time for The End." It pointed down at her and the Doctor. Raven stood in front of the frozen Time Lord. "Move aside, daughter." He wanted the Doctor!

"No! No! You can't have him!" Raven said to the monster. "The Doctor is mine. He's mine! Do you hear me?! You can have the rest of the universe, but I claim the Doctor! The Doctor belongs to me!"

She was stunned to silence as the Doctor statue shattered and all sense of life from him vanished.

"I grant you life after." The monster said, "That is enough generosity."

Raven shook at the loss of her friend. It can't be happening now! No! No!

Glowing runes appeared all over her body, across her arms, legs, torso and head.

"No! No! No!" She screamed, shaking her head.

"Zagreus sits inside your head, Zagreus lives among the dead." That was the Doctors voice! "Zagreus sees you in your bed."

"And eats you when you're sleeping!" Raven finished and focused her mind. Suddenly she was cold again. The monster vanished and Raven had hold of the Doctors hand very tightly. A moment passed before Raven realised it was an illusion.

"Raven, you can relax your grip now." and she did. She was terrified.

"What's the point of doing this?" Raven asked.

"I think she's playing with us." The Doctor said and proceeded to lead her further into the mist.

"Doctor, I didn't say anything did I?" Raven asked, feeling a little embarrassed. Her cheeks had gone red, but thankfully the Doctor was looking away from her.

"Nothing." The Doctor said, "Only you expressing the proprietorial view you have of our relationship."

"A what?" Raven asked. "Look, umm... I..."

"You were in the heat of a moment Raven." The Doctor said, "Pay it no mind."

Ravens cheeks went even redder with embarrassment.

"Just remember, it's only an illusion." The Doctor said. Thankfully he did not pry into what had frightened her so.

They walked for a while, every now and then the Doctor came to a stop like he was sensing something, and he squeezed her hand just a little tighter each time as if apprehensive. But nothing appeared.

A little while later something did appear. A silver man, followed by several other silver men. Seven-foot tall and with handlebars in their heads.

Cybermen!

"You will become like us, you will become like us, you will become like us!" They chanted.

"It doesn't exist, Raven." The Doctor insisted as Raven wanted to shrink away from the metal giants. "Say it. It doesn't exist!"

"You don't exist!" Raven said, and the Cybermen vanished.

Raven let out a long sigh of relief.

"That's your fear?" Raven asked, "Cybermen?"

"No, not anymore, not for a few centuries." He said, "Must've been one of yours again."

Raven didn't bother denying it. Those Cyborg Zombies creeped her out.

"Why did it manifest for you this time?" Raven asked.

"I'm not sure." The Doctor questioned, tugging her along.

"Why haven't we met many of your fears yet?" Raven asked.

"We have. I just ignore them." The Doctor said.

"Doctor, can these things hurt us?" Raven asked.

"I wouldn't like to find out. After all, whatever gets created in the Land of Fiction is just as deadly as the real thing. The same may apply here too." This disturbed Raven. That meant when she'd imagined her father, her father was actually, physically here in some way.

"Just do what I do." The Doctor said, "Focus and meditate. Zagreus sits inside your head,"

"Zagreus lives among the dead." Raven said out loud, then began reciting the rhyme under her breath.

"That's the spirit." The Doctor said. Suddenly he stopped and looked directly at her. He looked like he was reacting to something, but Raven couldn't think what. It was almost like he was listening to a conversation she couldn't hear. Eventually, the Doctors expression relaxed.

"What?" Raven asked.

"Nothing, just another illusion." The Doctor said.

"What illusion?" Raven asked.

"Come on, do I have to explain everything to you?" The Doctor snapped. Raven froze as the Doctor said this to her.

"Sorry I asked." Raven said with an attitude rolling her eyes.

"Don't give me that attitude either, Raven!" The Doctor snapped. Raven leaned away from the Doctors outburst.

"You forget who you're talking to." Raven warned, her eyes glowing.

"You really are your father, aren't you." The Doctor said. Raven's powers faltered for a second at the hurtful statement.

"I am nothing like my father!" Raven fumed back. "You said I'm nothing like my father."

"Yes, and I'm starting to think I was mistaken." The Doctor said, his now cold eyes drilling into her, "You react emotionally to everything, despite being calm, 'balanced and centered'. You murdered the Shaydes, you got Armstrong Killed, half of that ship got turned into Cybermen while you bungled around! You destroyed Maria and her vampires, you failed to save Kasey, and then there's what you did to Barriss! A great track record isn't it."

"I'm trying to be good!" Raven ripped her hand away from the Doctor as he looked at her darkly. "What do you want from me?"

"You're just like the Mistress! Excuses, excuses, excuses! 'My upbringing has so damaged me.' or 'I'm born to be evil but I'm trying to be good,' or 'I suffer, struggling with my inner darkness.'" The Doctor breathed, "A really good person wouldn't whine so much!"

Raven took a step away, the Doctor advanced. "Maybe you really are evil!" The Doctor said, his hands reaching out for her neck. "Maybe I should end it before it has a chance to flourish." Raven stepped away in horror at what the Doctor had become. He'd turned on her! He'd lost faith in her! He thought she was evil and he was treating her like the rest of the world did.

She'd lost her friend.

Avoiding the Doctors grasping hands Raven turned and came face to face with Armstrong! Half-Cyberman, half-human. "You killed me!" He said painfully through a voice that sounded strained and half robotic.

"I'm sorry!" Raven was so upset. She turned and saw the haunted face of Bram Stoker!

"The horror." His eyes stared blankly ahead, "The horror!"

"I'm sorry!" Raven shrieked and turned again, and her face went white. Kasey! Sad, little, tear-streaked Kasey. "You didn't save me."

"I'm sorry!" Raven shouted and tried to move back away from the smaller Time Lord and felt the Doctors hands grasp her throat!

"No magic that desensitises you to the deed, I kill with you, demon, with my bare hands!" and Raven's windpipe began to collapse and the Doctor just looked down upon her in rage and disgust.

She felt herself being shaken, her head lolled backwards and forwards when it should be held steady and Raven's mind came back into focus as the Doctor, holding her shoulders, shook her back to reality.

"Raven! Raven!" He shouted, "Wake up, it's an illusion."

"An illusion?" Raven asked as everything went back into place. The Doctor was looking at her kindly and concerned, not judgmental and cruel. She so wanted to reach forward and hug him, to feel secure. But as more of Raven awoke, she settled for packing her feelings back down into a sealed box and shutting the lid.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and let it out slowly. When she opened her eyes she was calm again.

"Are you alright? You looked like you couldn't breathe?" The Doctor said.

"I'm fine," Raven said, looking up into the Doctors kind eyes. "It was just an illusion." Raven took a deep breath again.

"What were you sorry about?" The Doctor asked.

"Nothing, let's carry on." And Raven took the lead rather than talk about what she'd experienced. She grabbed the Doctor by his wrist and yanked him along.

No more spectres jumped out at them for a while as Raven kept her emotions in check. There were a couple of things that almost manifested. She guessed they must be fears of the Doctor, because she didn't recognise half of them. The slimy face of the Valeyard, the Doctors destiny. Some kind of planet, ravaged by time with countless gravestones around. A strange kind of machine, dome-shaped, with a plunger sticking out of it and a glowing white eyestalk. Two lights flashed on its head and it swivelled around like a tank. Raven didn't know what it was, but despite its trash-can like appearance, it had an air of menace to it. Whatever it was it quickly vanished.

Suddenly, they both came to a stop as they reached a wall. Feeling around it they found two more walls had appeared either side of them, and one behind them. As they looked around they found the walls had contracted and were coming even closer together, trapping them in a confined space.

"Remember, nothing to fear, but fear itself." The Doctor said, right before the floor gave way and the pair fell a great distance down and into some slimy black liquid which swallowed them both up.

Raven panicked, she still could not swim, and now she had to put a fear of drowning into her list of fears. Suddenly her mind had visions. The Doctor dead in her arms, the TARDIS a crumbling shell around her. The world dead at her feet. Her father sitting on a throne in a sea of lava, the sky blackened. The pointing, accusing hands of the dead. "You did this." They called. "You did this." They thought she was a monster!

C _ontrol, control! The Doctor would want me to control myself. It's an illusion, just an illusion. Azarath, Metrion, Zynthos._ She recited in her head and she kept reciting until her mind calmed down. It wasn't easy, but she managed to quieten her mind. _It's just an illusion, an illusion. The Doctor is alive, and if the Doctor is alive then..._ well, if anyone could defeat her father then the Doctor was the man.

She opened her eyes in the dark liquid, and her mind was instantly asking where the Doctor was?

She saw him, he was floating lifeless near her. But the Doctor could swim, surely?

Using her powers she raced over to him, took him under his arms and together they shot towards the surface. Breaking it Raven took a thankful lungful of air and she lifted both herself and the Time Lord clear of the liquid.

He was limp in her arms, and his face was haunted. He was trembling. What was he seeing that was so disturbing to him? She helped him out by focusing her mind on his, and she sent calming waves into his brain. Typical, the Doctor knew what to do, but was no good at doing it himself. The Time Lord looked like he was in a slight daze now, but he was peaceful.

Raven was spooked and she nearly dropped the Doctor as a large black, block fell from the sky, skimming near them by inches. Raven looked up and saw several blocks falling. Quickly, she focused and hovered out of the way of them as they fell. The blocks were trying to knock them back into the liquid.

The Doctor suddenly came to and realised his feet were dangling in space. He grabbed onto Raven and wrapped his arms around her neck since she was the only thing keeping them suspended.

"Relax, Doc." She said quickly, "We're in a bit of a situation here." She said as she avoided another black block.

"Did I miss something?" The Doctor asked.

Casting a black disk beneath them Raven set the Doctor down, then stood on the disk herself and used it to navigate. The Doctor gripped onto her shoulders so he didn't fall off if she had to quickly navigate out of the way of a falling block or something as they moved.

"What is that?" The Doctor asked, looking down at the black liquid. Raven's dark disk was highlighting the white outlines of something reaching up at them.

As Raven looked down what she saw was creepy and nightmare-inducing. Slimy, black stained hands were reaching up like the living dead, clawing for the surface. Or in this case, clawing for them, and they were closer to the black sea than Raven liked.

A hand brushed past the Doctors leg and he lept back before it could grasp his trousers. Raven raised them further out of the reach of the grasping hands. But then something large and dark began to emerge from the sea. A monster of nightmares. It wasn't an octopus, but it had plenty of long wriggling tentacles, a big, round black body and a long stalk on which was a hate-filled eye.

"Call me Ishmael." The Doctor said.

It's tentacles reached for them, but Raven, though panicked, kept her cool enough to keep their platform in existence as she swerved and avoided its grasp. As she flew, she had the image in her head of many black tentacles reaching for her. Raven suddenly added tentacles to not her fear list, but just her 'creepy list'. The Doctor let go of her shoulders and nearly fell off the platform. Raven's powers clamped over the Doctors ankles so he didn't fall off.

Unfortunately, the strain of doing all this was too much for Raven and she didn't see the giant tentacle coming right at her, and it swatted both her and the Doctor off the platform. She had no idea how long they fell for, but Raven managed to cushion herself with her powers. But she didn't have the concentration to do the same for the Doctor as he landed sharply on solid ground.

Raven was up in an instant, ready to defend them. But the Doctor didn't get up.

She nudged him with her boot, then when he didn't respond she knelt down and shook him. He was unconscious! "Oh, perfect!" Raven spat sarcastically, her heart racing, and she just managed to conjure a shield before a tentacle crushed them underneath it.

They had to get out of here and fast.

They were on a beach of black sand. Not far was a cliff face and going up the cliff face, almost sheer, was a winding stairway that looped around from side to side across the cliff face. It was an escape, but there was no way she could drag the Doctor up there. She could fly, but she didn't have the concentration and the physical strength to carry his prone form up there now, she was too tired. If only she was more powerful, if only she was stronger.

Raven quickly came to a decision. She didn't want to do it, but it was the only thing she could think of to keep the Doctor safe.

When the creature broke off its attack Raven collapsed her shield. Knelt down next to the Doctor, supported his head and his legs from under him. She muttered her chimes and focused. Raven collapsed her hands together and the Doctors form vanished as she brought her hands together. When her palms met his form had collapsed and vanished. When her hands parted there was no trace of him. Raven felt the Doctor land in the safest place she could think of. Her mind.

The creature tried to attack again, but now with just herself to support Raven was up in the air and soaring towards the top of the cliff faster than the creature could reach for her. She was out of its reach and out of the mist before she knew it.

Somewhere in her mind, she felt the Doctor laying prone and unconscious. This was her most personal space. But she trusted the Doctor not to go snooping around. If he did, then she'd introduce him to the darker side of her mind.

Oh, who was she kidding? He'd probably be fascinated by it, not scared.

* * *

Rachel felt empty inside as she sat outside the Headmistresses office, battered and bruised but otherwise okay. Her hoodies hood was over her head so she could hide within its darkness.

Doctor Pertwee had seen to her injuries since the school nurse had gone home and both he, herself and her Dad had gone immediately to the Headmistresses office, catching her as she was about to leave. Rachel had never seen her Dads so furious, and the Headmistress didn't look happy about being approached just as she was about to go home. Upon seeing Rachel's state the Headmistress just shrugged and said, "She's a naughty girl, and a bully, she probably deserved it."

Even Rachel couldn't believe she'd said that!

Doctor Pertwee and her Dad refused to budge from her path and she had to turn back to sort this out.

Most of the raised voices from within the office came from Doctor Pertwee, her Dad's voice sounded upset but level, and the mistress's tone was just dismissive.

Rachel couldn't hear the conversation clearly, it was mostly muffled. But Rachel just stared ahead at the wall, totally dead inside.

Where was Garfield? Where was her friend? She wanted her friends. But they were gone, they'd turned against her. What happened to Garfield Rachel didn't know, but he wasn't here with her.

Rachel began to think of all those happy memories she'd had with her friends, now they felt tainted. They were darkened now, knowing where they'll end up.

 _Crying about it won't fix things._ Said a voice in her head. _Focus on the now, not the past. The past is the past, no matter if it's miserable, chaotic, or happy, don't focus on what came before. Focus on here and now, where you exist. That's what you can change._

It was good advice that her brain was giving her, but what future did she have with no friends? What was wrong with her that makes people turn against her without even talking to her about it? She'd prefered if she were called out, so she could potentially modify. Sure, there would be squabbles and arguments over it, but she'd think about it and take it onboard. But they didn't even give her that chance. They silently judged her, silently came to a conclusion and coldly left her.

Rachel didn't cry. She didn't have any more tears to give. People were just horrible, and childish, and utter monsters.

Speaking of monsters, into reception came Mister Vale, looking arrogant as ever as he strolled up to her.

"Good grief, what happened to you?" Did he sound concerned? Rachel didn't look away from that spot on the wall she was focusing on.

"What do you care?" Rachel said levelly and coldly like she'd expect Raven to speak.

"Have you been getting into fights?!" Mister Vale accused.

Rachel froze, she had no answer for that. Mister Vale had already assumed she was the bad guy. He'd probably think she deserved this beating too.

"You never showed up to your detention. That means you'll serve another weeks worth of after-school detentions." Mister Vale taunted. Rachel did not react. "You're a nasty piece of work. Your father is a nasty piece of work."

That got her attention and her eyes rolled to look up at Mister Vale. She didn't care about herself anymore, but she was going to draw the line at someone insulting her Dad. Her Dad was lovely, he Dad was nice.

"Don't you speak that way about my Dad." Rachel hissed.

"I don't mean your Dad, I meant your father." Rachel's expression became curious.

"It's the same thing." Rachel said.

"No, a Dad and a father can be two separate things." Mister Vale leaned in closer, "Just like you are."

He grabbed onto the lip of her hood and pulled it down sharply over her head and she vanished totally into darkness.

Funny, she didn't know her head could vanish so deeply into her hood.

Her head was suddenly snapped back as if gravity had decided to shift. She clenched her eyes as she felt her head fall back and she felt like her head was upside down while her body was the right way up. It felt weird.

When she opened her eyes she saw something which made her jaw drop, or from her heads perspective, rise up.

Before she could process what she had seen the hood was pulled back up over her head, gravity reasserted itself to the correct position and her head and face were revealed to Mister Vale.

He noticed the astonished look on her face. He smiled, satisfied.

"There are four walls." Mister Vale said, "One of them must break."

The door to the Headmistresses office was wrenched open and Rachels Dad came out.

"Come on, Rachel, we're going." Her Dad told her. Rachel had the inkling she'd just seen something weird, but oddly, it was as if the memory was evaporating away until she'd forgotten it entirely.

"You can't just pull her out of school, it's against the law!" The Headmistress said.

"I assure you," Doctor Pertwee began, "He has every right to, if he has concerns Miss Rachel is being abused."

"Don't be absurd." The Headmistress dismissed.

"If this happened the other way around," her Dad said suddenly turning on the Headmistress rather aggressively, "If the roles of Rachel and Dolores were reversed. What would you have done to Rachel?"

The Headmistress didn't speak. But she stood defiant. Her face looked like she knew which answer she'd like to give, but knew it wouldn't be well received. "Leave the school premises, before I call the police." She then looked smug, a look Rachel had never noticed her express before.

"The Police?!" Doctor Pertwee exclaimed.

"I feel threatened by this mans behaviour." The Headmistress smirked.

"You realise I won't back you up on this." Doctor Pertwee said, "Call the police, and I'll tell them the truth, and I'll tell everyone about your ridiculous behaviour."

"Dolores's father is the head of the police department." The Headmistress's smirk went even wider, "And he shares my passion about stamping out bullying. We shall see who is believed." She then turned to Rachels Dad, "And I believe her mother is also your boss." That was news to Rachel, and her Dads expression dropped. Then the Headmistress turned to Rachel. "Rachel is coming to school tomorrow, or there will be consequences for both of you."

Rachel swallowed, and looked away. She waited for Mister Vale to give her that sadistic, pleased expression. But Mister Vale had vanished! She never saw him leave.

"Now, that is an unbelievably childish attitude to take." Doctor Pertwee fumed.

"And you're fired." The Headmistress said casually. "I can't have people on my staff who stand in the way of my vision."

"You can't do that. It breaks all kinds of regulations." Doctor Pertwee said getting more irritated.

"I have the ear of someone who can make it happen, and she shares my passion too." The Headmistress's smirk became eviler.

"Rachel," Dad said, "We're leaving, and I don't care about the consequences." Her Dad turned to the Headmistress and said firmly, "My daughter is not coming back!" That knocked the Headmistress's confidence back, because her smug look vanished. Her eyes refocused on Rachel.

The drive home was quiet and sombre.

Rachel leaned her head against the cars door pillar and watched the world go past and she lamented at how quickly her world had fallen apart. One she felt was so secure, so permanent, and yet within a few short days it had all fallen apart, and she didn't know why. If it wasn't for her Mum and Dad she'd consider doing something dark.

But what hurt more was the idea that she did do something wrong, she didn't know it was wrong, nobody called her out on it, and instead just reacted. That's how her friends had just behaved as if they wanted an excuse to condemn her and destroy her, and they had won. Her confidence and spirit were utterly broken. Her friends had all betrayed her. Well, except for one of them.

Rachel slowly dug her phone out and sent a text to Garfield asking if he was okay after she was attacked.

Five seconds, ten seconds, fifteen seconds, and still no reply. So Rachel put her phone away.

It wasn't until late into the evening that Rachel got a reply.

 _-I'm in jail._ He'd sent.

 _-Why? What did you do?_ Rachel asked.

- _Dolores's father is the head of police. After the attack, he picked me up._

 _-What's the charge?_ Rachel sighed. What trouble did Garfield get himself into now?

 _-I don't know. Something to do with Maria. Rachel, they're talking about throwing the book at me. :(_

 _-They can't throw the book at you if they've got no evidence._

 _-They don't care. They'll look bad if they let me walk._

 _-Garfield, what are you charged with?!_

There was a long pause before Garfield answered.

 _-Dolores' said I assaulted her._

 _-But you were being held down!_ Rachel couldn't believe this. After a long pause more messages came.

 _-Maria's also saying I assaulted her too! Rachel, I promise I didn't. I just accidentally brushed up against her when we were in Mister Bins class!_

 _-Garfield, they won't believe her. If it's true then why didn't she report it when it happened?!_

 _-It's my word against Dolores and Maria's, and Dolores's father doesn't sound like he thinks his daughter and her friends could ever be a problem._

Again, Rachel couldn't believe this!

 _-What about Stella, Victor, Rich? Aren't they backing you up?_

 _-They're saying they saw me do it._

This was beyond belief! Did the whole world hate her that much? Hate anyone who stood by her?

The next text was badly typed.

 _-Thy wnt to take me phon of me_ _ttly._

And for the rest of the night Garfield didn't talk to her.

 _-Leave Garfield alone!_ Rachel sent to Stella. _He did nothing wrong!_

Stella's reply came rather quickly.

 _-Look, perhaps you should keep a low profile and hope all this will blow over. Maybe Dolores will ask you to be her friend again, and maybe you can make peace with her._

 _-Keep a low profile?! I've always kept a low profile. Dolores keeps coming to me!_ Rachel sent back, getting frustrated at this. It didn't sound like Stella at all. She was asking Rachel to kiss Dolores's ass. But Rachel wasn't so weak to give in. Dolores could jump off a cliff face for all she cared.

- _I don't think I'm willing to be friends with someone who can't understand simple advice._ Rachel did understand the advice, she was just aware of what it meant. It was advice to ass kiss an asshole, and Rachel was not willing to do that.

Rachel was formulating a reply to say just that when the text box vanished and a message came up indicating Stella had blocked Rachel's number. For gods sake, Rachel never knew Stella could be such a total, ignorant, ass-kissing bitch! A quick check showed the same with Victor and Richard. Both had said only one thing before blocking her.

- _You shouldn't have made that picture._ From Victor. But she never made that picture? Why wouldn't anyone believe her?!

 _-I can't be friends with someone who spreads awful rumours about people._ From Richard. What awful rumours? She hardly ever spoke about Dolores outside of school. She was an irritation, just that. But Dolores wasn't central to her life! She just wanted Dolores to go away!

Rachel curled up on her bed. She'd had everything she'd always wanted, and it was destroyed all because of one narcissistic, arrogant, paranoid, stupid bitch! Rachel seethed under her bed. She so wanted to strangle that bitch and rip out her throat for what she'd done.

When her thoughts turned back to Garfield her anger turned to depression.

Garfield was now suffering greatly because he chose to stand with Rachel instead of against her. He could have just stepped aside, but he didn't. Now he was suffering the consequences.

People hate her, Rachel realised, and they hate her so much that anyone who defends her automatically becomes a target to be destroyed. She felt like her presence was a stain. That any who stood with her, or defended her became the target of her own enemies. She could understand why most would want to abandon her. But she never expected it of her friends, never, ever. She thought they would all be like Garfield and stand with her. The speech Richard made about standing with her and supporting her against Dolores's tyranny, those words and feelings she'd felt at the time felt hollow now.

Promises were made, support was given, but when it came down to it that trust was misplaced, and she was pushed under the bus, and it was all because of Dolores' s lies! What pressure would be needed to turn Garfield against her? Her own mother? Her Dad? Was trust always so easily broken? She couldn't trust anyone, anyone.

Tears began rolling down her cheeks.

She didn't want friends anymore, she hated them! She hated everyone! She hated the universe and everyone in it. The Universe could die for all she cared! All she wants now is to be left alone!

 _Break the wall, break the immersion._ Said her mind suddenly. _There are four walls, one must break._

Suddenly, a shudder went through her mind. Like it was trying to make her wake up. The tears stopped coming as something floated back up into her mind. Something she'd curiously seen, but had forgotten about just as quickly. The thing she saw in the hood of her hoodie when Mister Vale pulled it down over her head. How could she forget that?

She loosely crossed her arms looking down at the blue hoodie she wore, the one she always wore.

Rachel unzipped it so it was fully open, slipped it off and laid it flat on the ground so she could see the inside lining. It was so black, pitch black, and there was no shine from light catching the edges of the material.

Gently, she rested a hand on the hoodies interior and her hand sank down, down, and down, into the floorboards.

Rachel snatched her hand back, then moved the hoodie so she could look under it. There wasn't a hole there. So how did her hand disappear down below the floorboards?

Replacing her hoodie she again lowered her hand, and again it vanished down into a black abyss. Gently leaning forwards, Rachel slowly pitched herself into the void.

She felt her weight shift as the gravity acting on her torso decided it no longer wanted to be 'down' anymore, but aimed at where her feet were pointing. Which was weird, because her lower half told her down was into the floor.

Rachel straightened out her body and she sank completely into the black void within her hoodie. She stood up in the void and looked back, she could see her room as if she was looking up at it from the floor. But her sense of gravity told her the room had been tipped onto its side, but the bookcase, bed and wardrobe, all still sat perfectly where she'd left them like they were nailed to the floor.

That's when the void vanished and two large doors opened up. Beyond which was a massive chamber, filled with an assortment of objects which made the place look very homely. But what stood out were the shelves of books on one side, and in the middle was a hexagonal console of polished wood, standing atop a stand of cast iron. A blue glass column rose up out of the centre of the console and into a dirty, iron chamber with six girders sprouting from it which came down around the console like spiders legs.

She stepped over the threshold of the door, and she had to pinch herself so she knew she wasn't dreaming.

It was exactly how she'd imagined it, how she'd dreamt it up. This place was Raven's safe haven from all the troubles of the Universe.

This place was the TARDIS!

Her blue hoodie was the TARDIS!

And she was standing right in the middle of this fictional creation!

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** The ridiculous conversation the Mistress had with Doctor Pertwee and Rachels Dad was intentionally ridiculous. ;)

The big Monster which eventually chased Raven and the Doctor I've tried to make a mixture of fears I know both Raven and the Doctor have.

There is a reason the Mistress dropped the Doctor and Raven into that place. All shall be revealed soon. ;)

Some small edits might be made as I listen to this on the FFNet text reader.

Cheers


	60. Chapter 59, The Truth Revealed

**Edits [23/08/2019]** I decided to edit a passage. It was supposed to be humorous, but after hearing it read out a couple of times by he FFNet reader I decided it was more on the creepy side than the funny side.

* * *

 **Chapter 59**

 **The Truth Revealed.**

Heave! She pushed, the walls parted again and she could see light. The Mistresses control room and the Master Brain came into view. But she didn't have the strength to push any harder and instead the walls snapped shut.

She was again in darkness.

* * *

Raven raced up the side of the cliff face as fast as her powers could levitate her. It was a long way up, but she reached the edge and set herself down on solid ground. It was made of rock and as smooth as glass, though still craggy.

There was someone just ahead. Someone Raven knew. A green girl in a long, blue hooded cloak.

Barriss Offee! Raven didn't expect to see that traitorous witch so soon.

"What are you doing here?" Raven said with venom.

"Huh?" Barriss turned and looked at her up and down. "Sorry, do you know where I am?"

Not the question Raven expected to hear. The goth girl had such a headache from this world that may be destroying this space monk again would make her feel better. Raven raised her hands and charged her powers.

Barriss did not look like she was threatened. She cocked her head to one side curiously. "I'm sorry. Who are you?"

That question really took Raven off guard.

"You know who I am, Barriss." Raven said spitefully.

Barriss took a step back, but not out of fear, but out of surprise. She looked like she was searching for the right words. "This Jedi Girl fails to recognise."

Weird way to talk, and some of Raven's venom began to drain.

"What's wrong with you?" Raven asked, dropping some of her menace.

"I don't believe we have met. Padawan Barriss Offee, at your service." and Offee knelt down and curtsied in greeting.

It was Raven's turn to take a step back. Barriss was pretending not to know her. What was Barriss's game?

"I do not believe you just so happen to forget me!" Raven said, firing up her powers again. But again Barriss looked more curious than threatened.

"You have such a lovely way of greeting people." Was that sarcasm? "At times like this, the memory fails."

The way she'd just said that... it was as if it was lifted from somewhere else. It was like talking to Gulliver, a character who was two dimensional...

A nasty thought crossed Raven's mind.

"Barriss, say 'Raven,' 'TARDIS' and 'Gallifrey.'" Raven asked. A pause before Barriss spoke.

"I fail to see the necessity of that." Raven's heart began to sink as a disturbing thought entered her head. She didn't want to say those words... because she couldn't say those words. She'd never said them within her own fiction, so she couldn't say them at all.

"Barriss, please tell me you know me." Raven said as anxiety began to rise up in her stomach, "The Doctor, Alice of Wonderland, Captain Hook?"

Again Barriss looked clueless. "I am sorry. I have failed you." The space monk said sadly, "I failed you." There was something about her manner which seemed 'uncanny valley,' like a robot trying to emulate how a human behaves.

She was like Gulliver. Like she was struggling to be understood with the limited dialogue she has access to. When Raven did... what she did she thought Barriss would just pop back up and be the same person. It never occurred to Raven that it would also reset her back to square one.

 _I've killed her..._ Her mind suddenly concluded. _No! Oh god, please no!_

"Barriss, please tell me you remember me?" Raven felt butterflies in her stomach.

Barriss looked her up and down again. "Who are you?"

 _I've killed her..._

Barriss might still be alive, as a fiction, she can't die. But what she evolved into, what she worked so hard to become. That was gone, it was dead, and Raven did it!

 _I killed her..._

Raven felt sick. She'd never actually killed a person, but now she felt cold. She might not have killed the fictional space monk. But she'd destroyed her soul, and that was bad enough. She'd killed the Barriss she'd come to know.

 _I killed her, I killed her, I killed her! NO!_ Her mind rang.

Raven stepped away and backed as fast as she could away from the space monk.

"Is something the matter?" Barriss asked innocently.

"I'm sorry!" Raven said, the negative emotions threatened to overwhelm her.

"Sorry, about what?" Barriss asked, she didn't know, and that made Raven feel worse.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" and Raven quickly flew away from her as fast as she could.

That is what death meant to an advanced fiction. Death meant losing everything you were, your memories, everything which made you, you. Like wiping a person's memory so they were an infant again.

 _She was a traitor, she deserved it._

 _But I didn't want to actually kill her, kill her!_

 _She's still alive, fictions can't die._

 _She's not the same, she won't develop into the same person again. I might as well have killed her!_

Barriss had begged, pleading that she was alive, and Raven didn't listen.

 _She was alive! Barriss was alive! Oh god, Barriss was alive! And I killed her!_

The emotions of that realisation took hold of Raven and she dropped to the floor. She buried her head in her hands and tried to control herself. She didn't cry, but her mind was screaming at her.

 _I'm a monster._

 _I murdered her!_

 _I killed her! I killed her!_

"Hello, Raven!" Raven opened her eyes and she saw someone else she recognised. It was Alice. She was here waiting for her. What was Alice doing down here? "Come on, it's time to come quietly."

Stepping from behind her was the large, purple form of the Imposter, and two White Robots. Alice didn't seem disturbed by their presence as they advanced with her.

Raven's eyes began to widen as the truth of the situation sunk in, and her eyes looked at Alice darkly.

"You're the one who betrayed us. Not Barriss!" That made Raven feel even worse. Barriss was innocent, she'd killed Barriss for no reason!

"Like I said, Raven, there's nothing worse for a fiction than to be forgotten, and my story could certainly benefit with some additions." Alice smiled.

"You traitor!" Raven spat as she stood up.

"You were so easy to manipulate, Raven. It's like in chess, a bluff here, a slight out-manoeuvre there. Like all my traps you fell right into this one." Alice said, smiling sweetly.

"But what about the resistance?" Raven asked.

"The Mistress has promised me so much. So many new stories for me. How could I say no?" Alice said, "I don't have to be the ignorant young girl anymore. I will be taken seriously, I won't need someone like Captain Hook for people to listen to me."

"Give up, you freaky Dalek!" That was the Imposter. "We have you surrounded. Give me back my counterpart and my TARDIS and submit to the will of the Mistress."

Raven stood and faced the two girls defiantly. "You two..." she breathed "can piss off!"

"Language!" Alice shrieked.

The Imposter and her robots advanced still, and the Imposter drew some kind of laser weapon. She really was nothing like the Doctor. Without even a warning the Imposter fired it. Raven tried to put up a shield, but the lightening the gun fired just snaked around the shield and impacted Raven's body electrocuting her.

Every nerve in her body lit up like a Christmas tree, in pain. She just wanted the pain to stop, but she fought the need to blackout. She would not give in, and as soon as this was over the Imposter was so dead!

Snap-hiss!

Went something and the Imposters weapon was sliced in two by the laser sword of the space monk Barriss. The green girl held out her hand palm facing the Imposter and she was flung backwards by an invisible force and slammed into a big, black wall. Another swipe took out the two white robots, severing their heads from their bodies.

"Barriss? You're alive!" Alice said with shock.

"I don't know you." Barriss said.

"She's re-manifested." The Imposter said, getting to her feet. "Listen to me, that pale girl is a Sith, as a Jedi you must destroy her."

Barriss looked to Raven and scanned her, but she didn't look convinced.

"The Force is real. But does not exist for you." Barriss said.

"Thanks." Raven said, guessing this meant she disbelieved the accusation.

Barriss turned back to the two girls, her laser sword still lit.

"This won't do at all." Alice said, and she took her biscuits from her pockets, bit into one of them and her form grew to massive proportions.

Barriss leapt back in amazement at what she'd witnessed. Alice raised her foot and attempted to bring it down on the two hooded girls. But they avoided the larger girls feet easily.

Raven flew into the sky as Barriss attempted to attack from the ground. For some reason, Barriss refused to use her laser sword to cut into the ankles of Alice to chop her down. Must be a Jedi thing. But she did attempt to use her weaker Force powers to put Alice off balance.

Raven flew around, trying to avoid Alices hands and arms, but the giant girl was so quick. Her arms moved far too fast. Raven tried a number of things to get her off balance. Pull her hair with her powers, blind her with an energy blast, put a sharp pain in her ears. But Raven couldn't hold still long enough to concentrate with Alice's arms constantly trying to swat her.

Now Barriss had her own problems as the heavy set Imposter tackled her and now they were both wrestling on the floor.

Alice reached out to grab Raven, but the demon girl avoided her hand, flew down the length of her arm and swiftly kicked her in her right eye.

Blinded, Alice stepped back, clutching at her face, and Raven went down to aid Barriss, who had broken free herself and swiftly kicked the Imposter in the face. God, it was satisfying to watch, Raven only wished she'd done it.

As Barriss got up, retrieved and activated her laser sword, the Imposter drew a small pen-like device from her pocket. It looked like a Sonic Screwdriver, only when she activated it a purple blade extended from it. The Imposter had her own laser sword?

"I am a Master of the Jedi arts too." The Imposter boasted. Okay, now someone was just making stuff up. But in the Land of Fiction, any made-up stuff became real, because the Imposter was able to go toe-to-toe with Barriss on a one on one sabre battle. In fact, the Imposter appeared to be the superior fighter!

A loud thud caught Raven's attention and she got the feeling she should move. It was a good call, as a clenched fist passed by where Raven had just been.

Raven needed a permanent solution for Alice, because no matter how powerful the goth girl was Raven could not subdue Alice as a giant. She needed to shrink her down to size.

 _The key is not to make the best move, but the move your opponent least wants you to make._ As Alice had said.

The bottle containing the shrinking potion should be in her pinafore pocket. All Raven had to do was get it. But Alice needed distracting.

Raven tried again to attack at her eyes, but Alice was ready now and she managed to swat Raven away. It didn't hurt, it was surprisingly gentle, but that probably wasn't on purpose.

A list of spells and incantations rolled through Raven's head, all of them useless. So she settled for forming a giant ball of black energy above her head and she fired it forwards at Alice. It impacted her but didn't do nearly what Raven needed.

She had an idea to use something to tie up her legs. Like maybe metal girders, or cable or something. But nothing like that was here. Maybe she was wearing something Raven could take advantage of. But her shoes were buckled, she wasn't wearing a band or bow in her yellow hair, like some depictions of her.

As Alice reached for her Raven had a simple idea. Using her powers she took Alice's pinafore and forced it upwards in front of her face and made it wrap around her head. As she fought with that Raven saw from the upturned pinafore pockets fell the biscuits and the bottle.

Dropping her powers Raven called the biscuits and the bottle to herself. Alice didn't seem to notice Raven now had them as Alice pushed her pinafore back down. The giant was annoyed now.

Now was the tricky part.

Raven flew up, avoiding Alices grasping hands. She had to get close enough to Alices' mouth for this to work. Again, Raven had a sneaky idea.

 _The key is not to make the best move, but the move your opponent least wants you to make._

What is the move Alice won't expect Raven to make?

It was a gamble, but it was all she had. Raven stopped and pretended to make a blunder. Alices hands grasped her and squeezed her.

"I've got her! I've got this bothersome insect!" Alice cheered and brought Raven up to her face, now holding her firmly in both hands.

"You betrayed us." Raven accused.

"Sorry, but if it makes you feel any better, I did like you. But our relationship was never going to last. ACHOO!" She sneezed, as Raven had used her powers to flick the giant's nose. "How childish, ACHOO!" She began to breathe in deeply again, preparing to sneeze a third time.

That's when Raven's powers pulled the bottle of Alice's potion from within her cloak. The bottle flew off and the liquid escaped like a cannon going off and went straight down Alice's gullet as she breathed in. She didn't sneeze, she gagged on the liquid going down her throat. She then began having a coughing fit.

Alice noticed something was wrong when it looked like Raven was getting bigger in her hands, when it was Alice who was shrinking.

The shrinking giant let go of Raven and reached into her pinafore for her biscuits. Raven landed on the ground, now both she and Alice were the same size. Only then did Alice know her biscuits were missing, and Raven held them up in her own hands.

"Checkmate!" Raven said coldly.

Alice reached forward to swipe at the biscuits, but they were already out of her reach. Not because Raven moved them, but because curiously Alice continued to shrink down. She still attempted to reach up Raven to get her magic biscuits as she reduced to below Raven's waist and continued to reduce. Within seconds she was lilliputian sized and still, she became smaller, and smaller, and smaller. Eventually, she became so small Raven could barely see her with the naked eye anymore. But on the dark floor, the demon girl was certain she could make out a small blue, yellow and white speck raging at her.

Raven smirked evilly, she knelt down and held up Alices biscuits so the speck could see.

"You want these?!" and Raven swung her arms and threw them over the side of the cliff and down into the mist below. She turned back to the speck. "Go get them!" and to add insult to injury Raven sharply blew at the speck and watched it roll away and vanish into the craggy floor.

Rapidly running feet told Raven the Imposter was running at her, her arms raised with that laser sword ready to cut her down.

Compared to Alice this would be easy.

The Imposter swung at Raven, but Raven did something unexpected. Like she did earlier with her cuffs Raven used her powers to enable the demon girl to pass through the Imposter like a ghost. Her blade mist the sorceress. Caught off balance the Imposter stopped herself before she went over the edge. She was waving her arms, just keeping herself balanced on the edge.

Raven looked back and her heart sank. Barriss was in a heap on the floor, a burn mark through her torso. She'd been killed... again!

Before the Imposter could regain her footing Raven gave the Imposter Doctor a swift kick to send her over the edge. She fell down into the mist and Raven imagined the big girl landed with an earth-quaking thud.

"You bitch! You Dalek!" The Imposter Doctor shouted up. She was still alive?! "The Mistress is going to give me powers to match yours!" Where the Imposter landed a dozen or so small lights appeared in the mist, "and when I get back up there you are dead! Do you hear me? D-E-A-D, DEAD!" The lights appeared to move in pairs and they surrounded and slowly approached the Imposter Doctor, almost like they were hunting her.

What did the Imposter fear? Fireflies?

"I hate you? I hate evil Daleks like you!" the Imposter continued to shout up through the mist at Raven, but she trailed off. Presumably, she noticed the lights around her. A great sense of fear radiated from the mist, Raven could sense it.

The lights began to flash in their pairs to the sound of a voice. An echoing, aggressive, mechanical voice which thundered out. They chanted just one word in such utter hatred.

"EXTERMINATE!"

"EXTERMINATE!"

"EXTERMINATE!"

"NO!" The Imposter shrieked. "Go away!"

"EXTERMINATE!"

"EXTERMINATE!"

"You can't! I'm the Doctor, you can't do this." The lights didn't break their chant.

"EXTERMINATE!"

"EXTERMINATE!"

"You should fear me, I'm the Doctor. I am your fear!"

"EXTERMINATE!" The lights were closing in on the Imposter giving her no chance to run. "EXTERMINATE!"

"It's not fair! I'm the Doctor now, you can't do this to me!"

"EXTERMINATE!"

"EXTERMINATE!" The lights stopped moving and the Imposter was utterly surrounded.

"EXTERMINATE!"

"EXTERMINATE!"

"I just wanted to be like my hero..."

"EX-TER-MIN-AAAAAAATE!"

Several lances of blue light fired from the lights directly at the Imposter. Raven saw the Imposter's outline shrouded in an electrified halo, which highlighted her skeleton as it jerked around in intense pain. Raven could almost feel it as the Imposter screamed. When the scream stopped the Imposters life force was gone.

What the heck had just killed her? Whatever they were, they'd vanished too with the Imposters life.

Raven turned back to Barriss and raced up to her. The space monk's eyes stared out. She had died twice now, because of Raven. Once by her hand, and again trying to defend her.

The demon girl didn't know how to process these emotions, but she hated looking at Barrisses dead, blue eyes. The only consolation was that at least this time she hadn't lost anything. She'd re-spawn in this world, minus the knowledge of Raven and what she'd done for her.

Raven knelt down, looked into Barriss's eyes. Emotions cracked in Raven's voice as she said.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Raven closed Barriss's eyes. She didn't expect forgiveness, she didn't want it, she didn't deserve it even if it was offered.

Raven was a monster. Oh God, she was a monster!

The goth girl stood up and turned away from Barriss. Fire was now in Raven's eyes. She saw the fictions as alive now, as living creatures, like her, at least in potential. This made the monstrousness and hypocrisy of the Mistresses plans' more clear to Raven now.

There was a door at the far side of this void. Probably how Alice and the Imposter got in here.

Raven walked towards it. It was time to end this once and for all.

* * *

Rachel felt her head as her mind stopped dreaming about her fiction for a second and she came back to reality. Rachel had ran her fingers across the edge of the console, the wood felt cool and smooth, and she'd suddenly began thinking about Raven's journey again.

But now, back in reality, she had a hard time accepting this. The TARDIS was definitely real. She then placed her hand against the glass column.

Something echoed in the darkness above. Rachel leapt back and the console came to life. Lights flashed, and the sounds of mysterious devices activated.

How could the TARDIS be real? It was something she'd dreamt up. She wasn't complaining. She'd love a TARDIS, but this was so ridiculous.

Like Raven in the story, Rachel reached out to experimentally try a control. But a hand reached out and swatted her away!

She jumped back and pressed herself against one of the girders as a man adjusted a control himself.

"I wouldn't touch that if I were you." He said, his voice deep, and rich. His hair was big and curly and he wore a regal, long, burgundy velvet coat. Most noticeably, he had a very long, multi-coloured scarf wrapped around his neck.

If this was the TARDIS then this meant that was the...

"Doctor?" Rachel asked.

"Yes, in a manner of speaking." The man smiled a crazed, but friendly toothy grin. "Hello, Rae-Rae." He said slowly.

"I must be dreaming. I'm under a lot of stress and I've fallen asleep." Rachel rationalised. "OW!" She shrieked as the Doctor pinched her arm, proving his point.

He then turned to the console. "Ah!" He said as if not impressed. "Very Jewels Verne, though perhaps a tad ostentatious, wouldn't you agree?" The Doctor asked.

Was Rachel's fictional character criticising her? "This coming from the guy in the mile-long scarf!" She shot back.

"Ah, well, you think you created both it and me, so what does that say about your imagination?" He said back with a grin.

"Smart-ass." Rachel smiled a little, she was proud of her creation. But why was the Doctors fourth incarnation in this TARDIS? That's not the order she created them in.

"Oh well, no need to feel bad about it." The Doctor said, waving his hand dismissively. "For you see, I'm not a figment of your imagination, nor am I your invention. Neither for that matter is the TARDIS."

"Excuse me?" Rachel asked, raising an eyebrow. "I created you, I'm your author."

The Doctor grinned wider, and his blue eyes fixed her with a stare. "You're not. I'm quite real."

Rachel dismissed that immediately, the Doctor was her character, the TARDIS was her invention. She remembered coming up with the concept when she hid in a Police Box in England and...

"Why is the TARDIS inside my hoodie?" Rachel asked. Had she been wearing the TARDIS all this time?

"Ah, well. That's rather a long story." The Doctor said, adjusting some controls on the console, just like his eighth self would. "But let me start off with a slight correction." The Doctor said looking at her from over the console. "I'm real, the TARDIS is real. But you're not, in a manner of speaking."

"Huh?" Rachel's expression dropped.

"Well, you are real in one sense. But in another, you don't even exist." The Doctor said vaguely. "You've been recounting the events which happened to our counterparts?"

"My story?" Rachel asked.

"Yes. You see, while you've been going about your school drama out there. I was trying to boost the TARDIS telepathic circuits so I could make contact with you." The Doctor explained, "The best I could do was funnel your consciousness through the telepathic circuits and filter out just enough of the nonsense that the truth began to bubble up to the surface."

"Uh-huh. Sure." Rachel said dismissively.

"It manifested in your mind as a story, and the fiction you're in, adapted it to fit." That got Rachels attention.

"Fiction?" Rachel asked.

"You have a wonderful way with concise answers." The Doctor grinned at his cheeky, sarcastic joke. "But yes, I'm sorry to tell you this, Rachel Roth, but you are the fiction, not me, not the TARDIS and not Raven."

Rachel took a step away from the console and the Doctor, and she ended up backing away and falling backwards when she backed into the reading chair.

"Don't be frightened, don't be frightened." The Doctor said lowly, offering her a paper bag. Jelly babies.

Cautiously Rachel reached out to take one, but the Doctor pushed the entire bag into her hand. The Doctor then sat himself down on the footstool and picked up a steaming cup of tea from the small table next to the chair. There was a second cup of tea next to Rachel. She dug out a jelly baby from the bag, an orange one, and she bit into it. Strangely Rachel felt very relaxed in the presence of this man. It's not every day the author gets to have a conversation with her own creation. "Your entire world is a battleground between two minds." The Doctor said suddenly.

Memories of what happened today flooded her mind and she felt her mood dip again.

"It's a pitched battle against Raven and the Mistress." The Doctor explained, "She wants to fictionalise us, you see. Turn us into her puppets, re-write our origins to bring us more into line with how she thinks we should be, how we should act, how we should think."

"But I'm real." Rachel insisted.

"All fictions think that." The Doctor shrugged.

"How do you know you're real?" Rachel shot back.

The Doctor shrugged and said in a humorous way. "Ah, well, because I just know, because I'm the Doctor."

"Yeah, very logical and well reasoned." Rachel said rolling her eyes.

"What happened next in the story?" The Doctor asked. "You must be near the end by now, surely?"

"What does the story matter?" Rachel asked.

"It'll help you understand." The Doctor prompted. "Clear your mind. Let the telepathic circuits dredge it up from your subconscious. All shall be revealed."

Sighing Rachel closed her eyes and imagined how the story should end.

* * *

The door did indeed lead back into the Mistress's fortress. Raven mentally prepared herself to fight.

The Mistress must know she couldn't win against her. Raven's powers clearly trumped whatever the Mistress had in her arsenal, all Raven had to do was be wary of tricks and deceit.

Her mind calm and totally focused Raven approached the door and slowly past through it like a ghost, hovering just above the floor. Her eyes glowed intensely.

When the Mistress caught sight of her she retreated from her desk. She was alone. Where were her other fictions? Raven suspected a trap, the Mistress wasn't so stupid to leave herself vulnerable... was she?

"You?!" The Mistress shrieked, "Wait, let's talk about this!"

"How do you intend to talk once I take your tongue as a souvenir?" Raven threatened, but her voice was calm and level.

The large woman retreated back towards a wall.

"Where's the Doctor? Your Doctor?! Doctor! Help!" She shrieked.

The Mistress backed into the wall and pressed herself into it. Raven raised her arms and prepared to cast. She'd been 'so' looking forward to this.

Suddenly the wall moved, flipped across, pushing the Mistress out of the way and revealing a blank, white wall behind. No, not a wall. A giant sheet of paper. Many sheets of paper, one stacked behind the other.

It was a giant book?!

As she realised that, Raven felt something shoot her in the back, forcing her forward and before she could do anything the two halves of this giant book began closing on her!

She held the edges, but the force closing the book was too strong and soon she was sealed in darkness.

What was happening? This felt weird! Like her existence became flexible and intangible. In the back of her head, she suspected what was happening, and her subconscious did the only thing she could think. She imagined, she pretended. She protected herself.

 _"Rachel! It's time to get up!"_ Huh?

 _"Rachel! It's time to get up!"_ What was that? It kind of felt like she was waking up.

 _"Rachel! It's time to get up!"_

 _Rachel? Raven stirred in her bed. Who is Rachel?_

* * *

Rachel was back to that morning again! Why did she keep coming back to that morning? She tried to use her vivid imagination and come up with something else. But nothing else would manifest in her brain.

"It's not 'imagination' you're using." The scarf-wearing Doctor said, "but your memories."

"Memories?" Rachel thought as things weirdly began to fit together in her head. But she didn't like what it was spelling out.

"When you were sealed inside the book the mistress was about to place Raven into a fiction where she could control her. But she didn't bank on a few things." The Doctor leaned forward and stared into Rachel's eyes. "Raven had a fiction of her own, her ideal life, and with her existence being so flexible at the time, Raven created it, claiming herself as her own character before the Mistress could."

As this began to sink in Rachel began to realise what he meant. Raven wasn't her creation. Rachel was Raven's creation. This entire world was Raven's creation. Her Dad, her mother, the Doctor teachers, Maria and her goons.

"This is all Ravens creation?" Rachel asked, a little scared. "What about my friends? Stella, Garfield, Victor and Richard. Where did they come from? I've never written about them and I don't think Raven knows them."

The Doctor shrugged. "I don't know. They were Raven's creations, generated to help protect her. To protect you from an intrusive invader. You see, since the Mistress missed her chance to claim Raven as her own she invented a 'fan-character' and introduced her to the story. The one you call Dolores. Since then she's been attempting to hijack Raven's fiction by slowly claiming all the side characters. Starting with Maria and her friends, and slowly she began collecting other people to her side, the other children in your school. The ones Raven didn't flesh out. She filled your fiction with her own creations, filling in the gaps you left."

"Why?" Rachel asked. The Doctor shrugged.

"Because she's spiteful, narcissistic, twisted, and a petulant child." The Doctor summarised, "But she wants to command your powers and tell you what to do, but most of all she wants the TARDIS and the Doctor." The Doctor smiled, "But you dumped them into your mind, where she couldn't reach them. When the Mistress fictionalised Raven, the TARDIS and the Doctor were mixed up inside the fictions. Aspects of the Doctor were used to build certain characters, such as your Dad and the Teachers. That's why the Mistress could not command them, because they contain parts of the Doctors soul. And the TARDIS..."

"The TARDIS..." Rachel began, "Was Raven's home, in the story she wanted to constantly carry it around with her so she'd always have a safe place to retreat to. She felt safe and secure inside it, just like how she feels with her own cloak. So they were both merged into my hoodie?"

"The perfect place to hide it." The Doctor smiled, "It's not obvious, and she'd never find it unless she understood your connection with the machine and your cloak."

"So I've been carrying you around with me all this time?" Rachel asked, "Why didn't you try to get my attention earlier?"

"You seemed to be managing by yourself. While we were all well-protected, I began trying to formulate a way to escape. The TARDIS doesn't work in this world you see. So I formulated plans to try to get us both out of here. But none of them seemed to work. The last time this happened, it happened to Jamie and Zoe, only I was plugged into the Master Brain at the time, so I was able to fight back and release them. That's what I've been doing, trying to find a back door into the Master Brain from here."

"Did you find one?" Rachel asked.

"Yes, though my influence is limited. But I did begin spreading information about the Mistress and her practices to the other fictions. Such as her view that all fictions are just her puppets and tools for her to use and re-write as she pleases." The Doctor grinned, "She really didn't like that." The Doctor nodded in a general direction. "The fictions are beginning to rally against her you see. She's in danger of losing. That's why she's stepped up her assault on your mind. She knows your powers can trump this fictional world, and she needs to break you to claim you as a fiction she can control with a stroke of a pen."

"How can she claim me?" Rachel asked.

"You've noticed she's been writing out a fiction of her own. Stuff which hasn't happened yet." He said.

"Yes." Rachel nodded, the story 'Fighting the Good Fight.'

"Well, when the writing comes first, that's fiction. If you were to act out the fiction, you become fiction to be commanded. That's how this world works." The Doctor laughed, "Only, you're hardly predictable. You don't act the way she thinks you'll act. She predicts you'll behave one way, you behave another." He laughed again. "Shows how much of a bad character writer she is. She only knows how to write characters who think and act like herself." His tone became serious. "But ultimately, if she can make her fiction swallow you up into its web, then you, your story, as well as me, and the TARDIS, become hers to write."

Oh god, this made the entire world outside a minefield. If she behaved precisely the way the Mistress predicts, then she was doomed. But it meant her friends, her mother, her Dad, all the people she loved weren't real and she'd lose them forever.

There was a long pause before Rachel next spoke. "I don't believe you."

"Haven't you noticed the inconsistencies in your world? How the longer you went on, the more logic seemed to fall apart?" He asked. "Today, a Headmistress would never have the power to do what she did. She'd never be able to act so callously towards a student, even if they thought they were a bully. Did you not notice how all the other students looked somewhat indistinct? Like they were copies of the same faces, over and over again? Or that you had afterschool detention for two weeks and conveniently forgot about it afterwards? You wrote about characters like the Blues Brothers, despite not knowing who they were. You wrote about Barriss Offee, despite never having seen a Star Wars movie, never mind the Clone Wars TV show and books. So how come you knew about them?" She didn't know. Who were the Blues Brothers? What was Star Wars, where did Barriss Offee even come from? She'd never thought to ask. "Didn't you notice at the start, how you were apparently born and raised in England, yet you have an American accent? Despite having moved to the states later in life?"

Rachel swallowed, okay that actually was weird. She tried to think of a rational explanation for this. But in her memories, she never once remembered ever speaking with an English accent; and her memories, she had no memories, not really? She just knew what happened, but the moment she tried to conjure memories, pictures, images, there was nothing. She could feel what happened, but not see it.

"How did you meet your friends?" The Doctor prompted, "How did you meet Stella? Garfield, Victor, Richard?"

Rachel couldn't answer that. She just... bumped into them one morning at school and... and... and...

"I don't know..." She answered quietly. She couldn't believe it. "I... I'm not real? I'm... I'm Raven's fantasy?" Weird that Raven would dream up a life where her counter-part dreamed of being Raven. That was weird. If it was true then in a way she was glad. Rachel's life was messed up now anyway, she'd take any out she could get, including becoming Raven again. But then she remembered how sad Raven was. She was still infinitely lonely, she longed for friends, she longed for a normal life, she longed for love, she longed for a real father figure. Rachel had a Dad, she loved her Dad, she loved her parents, both were happy. That was something Rachel had that Raven didn't. For the first time Rachel actually realised how miserable Raven was, and she deeply felt sorry for her.

"Funny, isn't it, being fictional?" The Doctor asked, "It's like being deaf, going your whole life and never understanding that when you clap your hands it makes a noise. It's something all fictions are blind to. We carry on, living without it, but we never experience real life."

Rachel wasn't listening. She was thinking. Her whole world was falling apart because of Dolores... no, the Mistress. The Mistress wanted to get her hands on her characters, on Raven, the Doctor and the TARDIS because they were real. Rachel's fingers curled up in anger. Her life was being messed up because the Mistress wanted them, and she'd destroy anything to get them. Raven thought she was a monster, Raven had nothing on the Mistress. Rachel liked to think she knew Raven enough to know that she wouldn't ruin a whole world just to get what she wants. Would she? Would she?

Rachel forgot for a second, she was the fiction, not Raven.

"Okay, what do we do now?" Rachel asked, standing up. She didn't care anymore, this world was ruined and all she wanted to do was give the middle finger to the woman who decided to ruin her perfect life.

"You need to find a way to break the fiction down." The Doctor said.

"How?" Rachel asked.

"How else do you break fiction?" The Doctor asked. When Rachel didn't answer he added. "What is it that brings you out of a story you're reading?"

"Plot holes? Inconsistencies?" There were tonnes of them in this fiction alone, Rachel understood that. The Doctor shook his head. Okay, Rachel admitted, entertaining stories could hold your attention beyond such things. It'd have to be a big plot hole to break the immersion.

"Break the wall, break the immersion," Rachel remembered. "Four walls, one must break." She sighed, "Why do these things have to be cryptic?"

"It's a storytelling trope." The Doctor shrugged. "But what that means is..."

"The Fourth Wall." Rachel cut across, she didn't need it to be explained to her, "Break the Fourth Wall, Break the Immersion, Break the Spell of fiction." Something occurred to Rachel. "Is that why I made you the guide? The Fourth Wall, the Fourth Doctor?" But the Doctor just shrugged, he didn't know.

"How do you intend to break the Fourth Wall?" The Doctor prompted. Rachel was certain he knew a way, but wanted Rachel to work it out herself.

"You talk to the audience." Rachel realised, "I speak directly to the audience, and let them know its a fiction!" Rachel stood and looked to the sky. "This is all a fiction, it's not real!" She shouted "I'm fictional, everyone around here is fictional. Haven't you got more important stuff to do with your life?!"

But nothing happened. The Doctor stood and came to stand next to her. He looked up at the same spot in the void above that Raven was staring at.

"Well, sound theory, but one flaw." He cleared his throat. "You are your own audience. At least in your half of the story."

"What do you mean?" Rachel asked.

"Well, you're not the only one trying to write this tale. Someone else is writing the other half from another perspective. It's her you need to break the spell on. You need to address her directly. At the moment, we are performing actions outside of her writings, so she can't see it. You need to get into her story and do something unexpected which snaps her out of the flow of the story. Calling out the fiction won't be enough, however, because she could rationalise it by claiming your character went insane."

Rachel thought about it for a while. What would snap someone out of the spell of the 'Fight the Good Fight'? The world was already skewed and boring, full of plot holes and inconsistencies. It was also ultimately boring because it was like a Teen Soap or something like that.

Her eyes grew wide, she looked around the TARDIS as an idea formed in her head. "Introduce a genre-shattering change." Rachel smiled darkly. "I have an idea."

The Doctor smiled a proud, toothy smile.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** I always intended Alice to betray Raven. Like the character Cypher in the Matrix, the offer of a new life with a bigger role in the fictional Matrix was enough to sway him. I imagined Alice would've been tired being stuck as a very young girl no one took seriously since her character would never technically age in the Land of Fiction, she could evolve, but the perception of her as nothing but a young girl would've greatly irritated her.

The Imposter being killed by real Daleks was always the plan.

The original title for this chapter was. "The move she didn't want you to make." But it was too long to be accepted.

Again, I might make small edits as I listen to it with the FFnet reader.

Cheers


	61. Chapter 60, LEAVE ME ALONE!

**Authors notes:** I've edited out a passage in the last chapter which was supposed to be funny. But upon listening to the FFnet reader read it out a few times I decided it was more on the creepy side, and not in a good way. So I've removed it.

* * *

 **Chapter 60**

 **LEAVE ME ALONE!**

Slowly, Rachel crawled out of the TARDIS hoodie, slipped it on, zipped it up and pulled her hood up.

"Alright, now be wary. The Mistress is getting desperate." The Doctor shouted from across the TARDIS so Rachel could hear him. "Remember, whatever she writes, don't follow through. She tells you to go left go right, she tells you to stop, you keep going. She tells you to jump, you..."

"...tell her to piss off." Rachel said, "Yeah, I get it."

"Well, I wouldn't have put it so vulgarly." The Doctor protested.

"Yeah, well I have, deal with it." Rachel said with an attitude. "HEY!" Rachel protested as she felt the Doctor put something in her left ear. "What's that?"

"It's a listening device, it'll read anything the Mistress writes and read it out to you." Rachel reached up and twisted the device so it fitted more comfortably in her ear.

 _'The outraged mob marched through the town towards the bullies house. Finally sick of her bullying all children in the school they were going to run her out of town.'_

"Mob?" Rachel asked, could this not get more ridiculous?

 _'They carried flaming torches, akin to the outraged mob in Frankenstein to prove they were serious.'_

Yes, yes it could.

Rachel needed to find Dolores, she was the key. But what she caught from the story didn't give any indication of where she was.

Outside, through the window, Rachel saw an ominous glow in the darkness.

They were coming.

Rachel pulled on the strings of her hoodie to tighten it all up and tied off the strings so they didn't get caught. Moving around in it, it now felt weird knowing she was carrying an entire space ship around with her.

"What are you going to do?" Rachel asked the Doctor.

"I need to be ready to pull myself back together when the fiction shatters." The Doctor said.

"Will... will Raven's Doctor remember any of this?" Rachel asked. She knew Raven wanted to keep her parental feelings a secret from the real Doctor.

"He'll have an inkling, but no, he won't remember what his counterparts did in here."

"Good." Rachel said, her purple eyes now cast in the shadow of the hood.

 _'Rachel could see the mob approaching outside her window, and she locked her door to hide from the advancing mob, hoping her mother or Dad would take care of them, wrongfully assuming she'd be safe inside her house. But such a person would never be safe from the righteous mob of justice!'_

"Ugh!" Rachel said in disgust.

Okay, the Mistress wanted her to stay put, so Rachel was going.

Rachel then left her room, went into a back room, which was her Dads study. Opened the door and climbed out onto a nearby tree, which she used to climb down. She unlocked the back gate and left.

 _'The mob reached the house and banged loudly on the door. Soon it was answered by Rachels precious Dad.'_

 _If the Mistress lays one finger on my parents!_

 _'The mob pushed past the Dad, knowing he saw her daughter as a precious angel and not the monster she was. They went up into her room to find Rachel cowering inside a cupboard'_

 _[Cancel, cancel, test report failure!]_

Rachel guessed that meant the Mistress realised the fiction wasn't coming true.

Maybe Rachel should've told her Dad she was going somewhere so when Dolores asked it'd throw her off the scent.

 _'Rachel had escaped and was somewhere on the run. But Dolores's Warriors weren't going to give up so easily. Dolores's own dad, the chief of police, had placed an APB for Rachel to be arrested and they were on the watch for a girl in a blue hoodie and jeans.'_

Oh great! Now the Police were after her. Rachel only wished she had Raven's powers, it would've made things so much easier.

Suddenly, Rachel felt something jab into her side. She unzipped her hoody and looked into the lining.

"What?" She said frustrated at the Doctor. A hand popped out of her hoodie.

"Please don't do that, it's just weird." Rachel said instinctively holding the open hoodie further away from her.

"Take these." And the hand disappeared and reappeared holding something.

"No!" Rachel insisted.

* * *

Rachel now sighed deeply as she walked, now in a burgundy velvet frock coat, a multi-coloured scarf which wrapped around her neck like a shawl and a hat over her purple hair.

She felt ridiculous.

"The book said to look out for a girl in a blue hoodie, not a girl in a big coat, scarf and hat." The Doctor said.

It was a good point, but she still felt ridiculous.

"Why do you wear this junk?" Rachel asked.

"Junk?" The Doctor said indignantly. "I'll have you know those clothes are the epitome of style!"

"Yeah right." Rachel dismissed, she had more important things to worry about.

Some police cars drove past her, shone a light at her, but moved on. The disguise was working.

The scarf also became useful when she wanted to vault over a fence that was too high. But the use of a tree branch and the scarf meant she was able to climb over it. Once she was done the scarf was even longer.

"Any idea where Dolores might be?" Rachel asked the Doctor. But all she got back were muffles. Pulling her hood back over her ears she could hear the Doctor clearly now.

"The story doesn't mention her location. Presumably, the mob is doing all the work while Dolores waits in a suitable location." He said.

"Why don't I just give up? They'll take me to Dolores." Rachel suggested.

"If you do that the Mistress knows where you are, and there is a chance she could guess one of your moves. Best avoid the mob and police like they are zombies." The Doctor said.

"Why wouldn't Dolores be with the mob?" Rachel asked.

"I've read her whole story, I understand Dolores. She'll start outrage, form a mob, but will only direct that mob. She'll stay out of the way so she can deny she was involved with the mob if they do something violent."

"What a manipulative bitch." Rachel said. "But why does it have to be Dolores? Why can't I do it to the mob?"

"Using Dolores will ensure the chances of this working, she is the main character, after all." The Doctor said, "Ah ha!" He said slowly in realisation. "I've found her address. If she's anywhere, that is where she'll be."

"And it'll be the last place she'd expect me to run to." Rachel said.

 _'The mob went to the school to search for the girl.'_

Wrong place, dumb bitch.

 _'The forests were being combed by police and their dogs.'_

Oh, for god sake!

 _'In case the girl made for her residence the chief of police put guards on Dolores's house.'_

Oh great!

"I've read the story backwards and forwards. She doesn't think you know where she lives." the Doctor said, "She's probably done it as a precaution."

Before moving on, Rachel decided to ditch the scarf. She placed it around a tree in such a way to suggest she'd used it to vault over the fence.

"Madam Nostradamous made me that scarf!" The Doctor said outraged.

"Foot me the bill later." Rachel said, running through the forest.

 _'The police and the tracker dogs found a long, multicoloured scarf hanging around a tree near a fence. The dogs barked and scratched at the fence. The girl had clearly vaulted over it.'_

After a few minutes...

 _[Cancel, cancel, test report failure]_

 _'The police and the tracker dogs found a long, multicoloured scarf hanging around a tree near a fence. The dogs barked and tried to haul the police in the opposite direction, deeper into the forest. Rachel had left the scarf to confuse them.'_

Coming across a river Rachel tossed the hat away and was pulling off the coat, and dragged them for a while to leave a trail behind. She then dropped them, turned around and doubled back a little ways and prepared to jump into the river to lose the dogs scent. She told the Doctor this is what she's going to do.

"Wait, that's just a myth. The moisture would enhance the scent and ensure the dogs find you!" He said.

"Would the mistress know that?" Rachel asked, this wasn't reality, after all, and Dolores was writing this.

"You know what, yes. You're right." He said, and to Rachels surprise from her hoodie came a snorkel, which she pulled free. This was getting weird. "Let me close the TARDIS doors first."

She jumped into the river and sank to the bottom with the snorkel in her mouth. She moved over to some reeds where the long pipe could not be seen and tried to sink down as low as she could to make the pipe as invisible as possible.

Through the water, she saw the police arrive, mill around and run off after her false trail.

When she was sure the coast was clear she was up and out again, running in soggy clothes.

Amazingly the device in her ear still worked.

 _'The Police followed the trail...'_ There was a long pause. _'Eventually, they found the hat and coat their target had been using as a disguise, discarded. The dogs milled around, but eventually picked up the scent.'_

 _'To aid in their search helicopters had been deployed.'_

"Oh, come on! How does that not break the fiction?!" Rachel protested.

"Ever seen most Teen Comedies?" The Doctor said.

"I hate comedies." Rachel breathed. "And I don't want a lecture about them!"

* * *

So far so good. As long as the Mistress didn't know where Rachel was in this fictional world, then she couldn't accurately anticipate what she was about to do.

Rachel could hear the helicopter in the sky, but it was still searching the forest for her and she'd long moved on. She was now very near Dolores's house. Looks like she lived in the richest part of town and her house was much bigger than Rachels!

"So she's a spoilt rich kid, figures." Rachel sighed.

"A spoilt rich kid with many complexes." The Doctor added.

"I expected fifty-foot high walls with guard towers. Why not use more imagination?" Rachel asked.

"My guess, the Mistress knows the limits of her own fiction. She knows if she stretches it too much then she won't believe it herself, and if the author isn't convinced of the fiction, the audience won't be either."

"Raven could never get through the Alice compendium." Rachel added.

"Oh well, there's no accounting for taste." The Doctor said.

"Nor the Twilight Saga." Rachel added again. There was a pause.

"Probably for the best."

The police were easy to avoid, though they were on patrol they clearly weren't paying attention as Rachel moved past them easily and stood in the bushes looking at the house.

The curtains were not drawn and Rachel could see the small family and Dolores in the living room. The family had the look of the Dursley's about them, but the Mistress probably didn't see it that way.

 _'The mob's search was not in vain as they did find Rachels Dad driving around in his evil Nazi car looking for his twisted daughter. The police gave chase, but he didn't get far as they rammed him off the road and his car crashed into a telephone pole.'_

Rachel froze. _Oh no, you don't! Leave my Dad alone!_

 _'When the police arrived they found Rachels mother in the car with her Dad. The mother died on impact, the Dad...'_

 _[Test report failure]_

 _'The Dad was barely alive, but badly injured.'_

 _I'm gonna kill her!_ Rachel decided. _I'm gonna frickin' kill her!_

Rachel made her way to the back of the house, but there was no way to get in.

That was until something extended out from within her hood next to the right side of her face. A long tube device with a red emitter on it. The Sonic Screwdriver. Rachel reached up and plucked it from the Doctors fingers.

"Will you stop that!" Rachel said. "You're kinda freaking me out."

Rachel used the device on the door and it unlocked. She was inside.

The family was distracted by whatever was on TV, and Rachel decided to avoid the family for now and just sneak up the stairs. The place was lavishly decorated, showing off how rich her family was, and Rachel went into Dolores's room.

Ugh! It was the most sickly room you could think of. It was pink, pink, pink, and there were pictures of cats everywhere. God, even she believed in her goodie-goodie image.

There were posters of stuff like Star Wars, Star Trek, Avengers, Professor X. Rachel didn't know what half of these were.

Rachel switched the lights off and waited, and waited, and seethed in anger. Her life was so messed up and now her parents were paying the price. She shook with rage. Dolores was so gonna die! The Mistress was so gonna die!

The sound of the helicopters in the distance reminded her they were still looking for her, but the Mistress had no idea how close to her fan character Rachel was.

After awhile, she heard someone coming up the stairs and she decided to hide in the closet, like monsters do.

Through the crack in the door, she saw Dolores enter, turn her lights on and switch on her own laptop. Rachel made certain the coast was clear before opening the closet door, slowly walking over to the light switch, and she turned it off.

Dolores spun around and saw Rachel approaching her with her cold eyes.

"YOU!" Dolores shrieked.

Unfortunately, Rachel underestimated Dolores reaction as the bull-like girl leapt onto Rachel and forced her to the ground and attempted to try to pound the goth girl. But the big girl hit like a girl, and wasn't prepared for when Rachel landed a doozy across her jaw, forcing her to get off.

"You utter bitch!" Dolores shouted.

Rachel took something which had fallen to the floor, a plastic toy that looked like one of those laser swords Barriss would use, and Rachel jammed it under Dolores's neck and pressed down hard. Rachel could only see red. This bitch had messed up her whole life. She just wouldn't leave her alone, and now she was going to die!

"Rachel, no!" The Doctor shouted, "We need her to break the spell. Follow through with the plan!"

Rachel packed the anger back down, she'd save it for the Mistress.

Dolores's door burst open and police funnelled into the room. They took Rachel under her arms and hauled her off Dolores. Slowly she stood in triumph with her father, a large, heavyset man with a walrus moustache.

 _'Utterly defeated and captured, Rachel was hauled away. As she was she ranted and screamed like a maniac about how the world wasn't real, that it was a fiction.'_

Rachel wasn't going to fall for that. She didn't stay quiet, she asked one question.

"You want to know where the TARDIS is?" Rachel asked.

 _[Cancel, cancel, test report failure.]_

"It's in my inside pocket." Rachel said. "It looks like a tiny Police Box."

"Finally, you've agreed to give me my property back." Dolores said, a smile spread across her face.

 _'"You want to know where the TARDIS is?" Rachel asked._

 _"It's in my inside pocket." Rachel said. "It looks like a tiny Police Box."_

 _"Finally, you've agreed to give me my property back." Dolores said,_ a smile spread across her face. _She unzipped Rachels hoodie, reached into her inside pocket and soon held in her hand what she'd been after all this time. The TARDIS had been returned to her at last._

Dolores did indeed, unzip Rachels hoodie and reach inside. But there was no inside pocket. What there was, was the Doctors hand grabbing Dolores and hauling her forwards into the TARDIS. Dolores vanished inside the hoodies interior to the astonishment of the police. It was like magic.

"Welcome to the TARDIS." She heard the Doctor say, "A time and space machine, straight out of the realms of science fiction."

With the cop's grip relaxed, Rachel broke free and quickly she zipped up her hoodie again so Dolores could not retreat back out.

 _[Cancel, cancel, test report failure.]_

 _"Dolores was suddenly pulled forward and disappeared into the hoodie. Around Rachels side and through a door which opened up. She was inside a space larger than Rachel's hoodie._

 _"Welcome to the TARDIS" said a man inside the hoodie. "A time and space machine, straight out of the realms of science fiction."_

 _[Test report error, error, error!]_

Rachel felt herself start to tingle as everything just whited out around her.

* * *

"Raven, Raven, my dear." Said a voice, "Come on girl, wake up."

Raven woke up. What a weird dream she'd had. But she didn't want to get up, she was too comfortable on the sleeping couch.

There was the low, electric hum of the TARDIS interior, so she knew she was still within the TARDIS.

"Raven, come along, we're landing soon."

Raven groaned, she wanted to sleep more, but she wasn't going to get it.

"Coming, Grandfather!" she called, and sat up and stretched.

The white room was surrounded by roundels like every room in the TARDIS, it was these roundels which helped the TARDIS project its Dimensional Transcendental properties.

Passing through a door from the sleeping quarters Raven entered a large control room. It was white with the same roundels. It was dominated by a six-sided, white metal console with a glass column in the centre. It gently rose and fell as the TARDIS was in flight.

At the controls of the TARDIS was her Grandfather. An elderly man, only a little taller than herself. He had a worn, and stern face, long white hair, and he wore clothes of a victorian gentleman but there was no mistaking her Grandfather.

He worked at the controls of the TARDIS.

TARDIS. Short for 'Time and Relative Dimension In Space'. A term Raven had made up to christen this vessel when they escaped Gallifrey. Raven felt her chest. Weird, but for some reason, she felt like she shouldn't be used to a second heart beating within her.

Must be indigestion.

Raven was wearing jeans and a polo top with black and white stripes.

The engine groan of the TARDIS sounded as the machine landed. The column came to a stop and Grandfather activated the scanner. The Television connected to the ceiling would show them what was outside.

The TARDIS had landed in a dark, old junkyard of some kind.

"Earth!" Grandfather announced, "August 17th, 1963." Grandfather scoffed, "Not the best century, but I gather we've outrun our pursuers for now." He coughed and took ahold of the lapels of his black coat. "We'll stop here for a few months, we may have given them the slip."

"The Time Lords?" Raven asked.

"Yes, my dear. They are a rel...re...relentless bunch, I must admit." Grandfather said, stumbling over his words a little. He smiled a kindly smile and chuckled a childish chuckle, "But this time, I think we've outwitted them." He continued to chuckle like a child.

Something on the console went bang, and sparks flew out.

"Oh dear, oh dear." Grandfather tutted. "That temporal immersion unit keeps breaking."

"Immersion?" Raven echoed.

 _Break the wall, break the Immersion._

"Yes, quite right." Grandfather said and he went to adjust another control.

BANG!

The console blew up in his face and he fell to the floor!

Raven ran to her Grandfather, but came to a stop when she saw a strange glow envelop him. When the glow vanished her Grandfather was gone, and in his place was a large, heavy woman who filled out her Grandfathers clothes so much they were tearing at the seams.

The woman looked like Dolores from her dream!

"Who are you?" Raven accused as the woman got to her feet.

"Me? I'm the Doctor!" she said.

"Who?" Raven asked indignantly, "I don't believe this!"

The world shook and whited out again.

* * *

Raven's eyes focused as she stopped reading her book.

"Hey, Rae!" Called an irritating little green boy with a large head. "I found these in your room, I didn't know you were into horses!"

Raven's eyes glowed darkly and she snatched them away. "You found nothing, you hear me!"

Suddenly another boy came into the room, this one dressed in red with a short, black cape. He looked ridiculous.

"Guys, I've decided as heroes we don't do enough community service. So starting tomorrow, we're going to the park to pick up trash."

Raven said just one thing to that. "Robin, piss off!"

The world shook and whited out again.

* * *

That was the third time. What was happening?! Raven thought as she awoke into another life. And another, and another, and another, and with each one something seemed to happen which broke the world.

"It's your line!"

She woke up again. She was in some kind of glass booth with a microphone in her face, and a bunch of papers in her hands.

"Sorry?" She asked, but not in her usual raspy voice, this one sounded quite feminine. Suddenly she remembered she was supposed to be reading her lines. She read from the paper and her voice changed to that of Ravens.

"This argument is pointless." she said.

"Your face is pointless!" Said a voice through her headphones. The voice of an immature sounding boy, but the voice came from a grown man in another booth, a man with a lot of hair.

"This isn't a debate society!" Said another voice, this one belonged to a balled man in another booth, and his voice sounded leader-y.

"Indeed, we must work together, if we are to defeat this enemy." Said a female voice of a woman in yet another booth with a script and a microphone.

There was a fourth person, a black man who then spoke. "Oh yeah, ain't nothing going to stop us from doing our job!" He said excitedly.

Raven shook her head as new memories began to flood her head. But they were a jumble, they didn't make sense!

Raven turned a page. Was this a script?

"Ah, hello there, I'm the Doctor." Said a fifth person. Raven looked up and saw a skinny man in another booth. He was in a blue shirt, he had a thin face, stubble and short-ish unkempt brown hair. He looked like the Doctor, but older and slightly more rugged. "Hello there, Rae-Rae."

"Doc... Doctor?" Raven read. She coughed and her voice reverted. "Sorry, can I read that again, I know I can get more gravity into that."

"Sure thing." Said a voice in her headphones.

What's happening? Was Raven going insane?! What was going on? Where was she? What was she doing?

Raven saw her reflection in the glass. She wasn't a teen anymore, she was older, but still slim and not bad looking.

But the blonde hair, that would have to go.

Again the scene whited out. She was going to go insane! Insane! INSANE!

* * *

She woke up again. This time she was strapped to a bed, her arms and legs restrained and she lay in a rubber room. There was a woman standing over her, adjusting some kind of device on her head. Dolores! The Mistress!

"Just relax, miss Roth." The woman said, "You're okay. There are no scary demons here with us."

"Get away from me!"

"Please, relax." The woman said calmly. "Remember, these are all delusions. You are Rachel Roth, the TARDIS isn't real, your demon father is not real. It's all delusions. This is the real world."

"Real-world?" Rachel questioned, "My name is Rachel?"

"Yes. You've been my patient for quite some time now, and we've made a lot of progress." The woman who looked like the Mistress in a white coat said. "But sadly you had a relapse. But don't worry. We'll sort you out."

"Where... where am I?" Raven asked, looking around like a wild animal. She was agitated, greatly agitated.

"You're at Arkham Asylum." The woman said. "You're suffering from delusions, I'm here to help you." She said. "A few years ago, your father attacked your mother and killed her, your Dad went on a murdering spree with you where he was shot dead. You've been mentally disturbed ever since."

Something about that didn't sound right.

But then again, Rachel was insane, so maybe that's why it didn't sound right. It felt like she had the bottled up emotions of a thousand lives packed up at the back of her head, wanting release.

"You haven't been taking your medication, have you, miss Roth?" The large woman asked.

"Medication?"

"It helps with the delusions and hallucinations." The woman said, and produced a bottle of pills. She unloaded a couple into her hand and put it in a glass of water.

"Delusions? Yes, delusions, delusions..." Rachel accepted. She felt safe, secure and comfortable here. She was safe from the world and the world was safe from her. It's where she wanted to be. She relaxed and released a breath she felt she'd been holding for a long time.

"Now, take this." the woman said, holding the water up to Rachel's mouth to drink, and slowly Rachel began to take it down.

Something stepped from behind the woman, and Raven gagged and coughed forcing her to spit up the pill.

From behind the woman stood a man. Tall, pasty-faced and cold, radiating an air of evil. The Valeyard from one of her delusions. But then that form began to melt and dissolve into a shadowy, pale girl, slim, with a long black cloak and hood. Around her neck was a necklace which looked like some kind of silver serpent. It was that dark version of Raven, the one Rachel, the other Rachel would dream about.

No! She was a delusion!

 _'Oranges and Lemons,'_

 _'say the bells of saint Clemons.'_

Rachel heard the girl chant in her head, and she began to panic.

 _"_ You're not real, you're only a delusion. Only a delusion." Rachel called out.

' _She won't let you go. She'll never let you go.'_

"I see Raven!" Rachel said.

"It's okay, it's just delusion." The woman said, "There's nothing there, see." But when she turned around she jumped at the sight of the dark girl. It was there! She was real!

"She's chasing you." Dark Raven said out loud, "You break one fiction, she tries to encase you in another, you generate a new fiction to protect yourself. Rather than try to hijack it, she's now smashing them all, hoping to form another around you." Raven turned to the woman. "She's no better than Trigon. She wants to use you and your abilities for her own goals. She doesn't care about you, only in what you can do for her."

"It's just an illusion, Rachel." The woman said, "it's a delusion."

"But you can see her too!" Rachel accused.

"You've made a blunder." Dark Raven smiled at the woman, "You've made her a crazy person, you can't shatter the fiction for a crazy person."

Rachel noticed her bonds coming undone at the behest of the Dark Raven's powers so she could move. Turning to the woman, the one who looked like the Mistress, like Dolores, like the Imposter, Rachel began to realise the truth.

The woman had been manipulating her, playing with her mind and her emotions. Torturing her, all so she could control Raven and her powers. The humiliation at the School of Arkadia, the heartbreak of her friends turning against her, killing her Dad and her mother, ruining her perfect life. Stealing the Doctor away from Raven. It all began to bubble up.

Dark Raven looked at the woman.

"Kill her!" Dark Raven commanded. "It's the only way to end this. Kill her!"

Rachel didn't need telling twice.

With her bonds free Rachel leapt at the Mistress woman and forced her to the ground. Rachel got on top of the Mistress woman with her legs over her shoulders so the larger woman couldn't get up. In Rachel's charged emotional state she began pummeling the woman with her bare fists. The pill bottle rolled next to her. And Rachel took it, unscrewed it and tipped its contents into the woman's open mouth, then pounded on her nose, once, twice, thrice.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Raven screamed, "LEAVE ME ALONE!" She pounded the Mistress's face with every word. "LEAVE! ME! ALONE! LEAVE! ME! ALONE!" She crossed her legs so the woman couldn't breathe. She continued to pound the woman. "LEAVE! ME! ALONE! LEAVE! ME! ALONE! ALL! I! WANT! IS! TO! BE! LEFT! ALONE! ALONE! ALONE! ALONE!"

Rachel stopped pounding, she was tired. Her hands felt wet and sticky, and the woman had stopped moving, stopped struggling, stopped breathing.

Rachel didn't want to look. She was scared. What had she done? Her knuckles felt sore. She held up her hands and opened her eyes. They were sticky and stained red. She didn't want to look down at the woman's face. _Don't look, don't look!_ But she did! She'd done it again! The woman was dead.

 _I couldn't help it! I couldn't! I was just so angry!_

 _I'm a monster!_ Tears welled up in her eyes. _I'm a monster! Oh god, I'm a monster!_

 _But she deserved it._

 _Yes, she did._ And Raven would do it again, she'd willingly do it again. _She was a horrid woman._ Raven's emotions weren't satisfied, she wanted to do it again! _AGAIN! AGAIN! TO THE MISTRESS! TO THE MISTRESS! GIVE ME THE MISTRESS!_

Raven closed her eyes again as her body trembled. She flung her head back and she screamed like an animal in distress.

So much raw emotion, so much power was erupting outwards!

There was a burning sensation in the back of her hands, her stomach, her heart, especially her head as she felt her charka points burn their way back into existence. The jewel in her forehead re-appeared, and with a blast of power, she felt the world shift.

Raven was back, back in her usual clothes, back in her cloak. The book she'd been trapped in was forced open, and the pages were burning. Raven's fingers dug into the pages, tearing gashes into the material.

The Mistress and her fictions turned at her, amazed she'd broken free.

The book tried to close again, but with a mere thought, Raven blasted it to atoms.

Raven's hands fell by her side, her cloak closed and her eyes were burning with intense white light.

"Ah, umm..." The Mistress stumbled, "You passed the test, well done. This means you've proven your... yourself worthy of umm... umm..."

Raven felt so much power, it was raw, rough and intense. All of it was being channelled through her emotions. All of it was at her command, and it was all focused through one emotion in particular. Her rage!

Raven then reached up and pointed at a door and with a slight gesture, the doors swung shut and locked themselves. The Mistress and her fictions noticed this. Raven pointed again, at another exit, and the door slid shut and locked itself. Then finally the main doors at the back, they too swung shut and locked themselves.

They were now trapped in here.

With her.

"I hope you've learnt your lesson, Raven." The Mistress said as if she had any power whatsoever in this situation.

Closing her eyes Raven's powers reached out. Wherever she found light in this room she shattered it. Bulbs, torches, candles. Anything which emitted light was instantly destroyed, including the laptops, plunging the whole room into pitch darkness. If the Mistress couldn't see, she couldn't write, couldn't create, and couldn't fight back.

When Raven opened her eyes the room and everyone in it was suddenly bathed in a deep scarlet light, a light which came from Raven's furious eye's.

The Mistress and her fictions stepped back, away from the enraged demon girl with the glowing, blood-red eyes.

"You..." Raven said to them in a low hiss, "are so... DEAD!"

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** All I really have to say is. RUN! JUST RUN FOR IT!


	62. Chapter 61, Raven's Wrath

**Authors notes:** Again, I might make edits after listening to it with the FFnet reader, because I think there are bits I could streamline.

Additional note (05/March/2020): As of this time series 12 of New Who has finished and I've realised I made a prediction way back in this chapter which turns out to be part of cannon now. When I wrote it, I thought it was something the Mistress would do to mess with the Doctor and piss Raven off. You'll know the revelation when you read it. Just know that when I wrote this it was months before series 12 even aired. So honestly, I had no idea and it was just a lucky prediction. Cheers

* * *

 **Chapter 61**

 **Raven's Wrath.**

Raven breathed deeply. Her anger at boiling point. Outwardly she stood tall and still, her eyes looking at the Mistress and her fictions accusingly.

Inside, the part of Raven that was Rachel Roth was crying in misery and pain. Those feelings translated through the layers of her psyche to Raven herself, where it was re-translated as utter, murderous, fury.

"Forget it," the Mistress said, retreating behind her fictions, "Kill her, kill her, kill her!"

The fictions who had laser weapons stood forwards and began firing. A rain of laser bolts rained towards Raven. But she didn't panic. Slowly she began advancing forwards.

Raven held up her hands and moved them slowly and calmly. She generated small black shields and caught each laser bolt before it hit her. Usually, this would be more difficult for her. But with her fury came utter focus and concentration.

There was a break in the assault and Raven struck.

She held out her hand at the girl in the yellow shirt who was firing a gun, she was too far away to grab with her hands, but not her powers. The girl was held up by her neck, a collar of darkness around it, and with a twist of Raven's hand.

SNAP! Went her neck.

The girls head twisted backwards and Raven dropped it to the floor, dead.

"You bitch! You utter Dalek!" The Mistress screamed, moving further away as the Harry Potter fan character came forward with her wand.

She made motions in the air and began to mutter a spell. She proceeded to flick the wand forwards. But before any kind of magic could be cast the wand snapped in two. Followed by her fingers, her hand, forearm, shoulder. All broke in that order one after the other. Last came the girls' neck.

SNAP!

The wizard girl collapsed.

Next came the Jedi fan character. Raven wasted no time catching the laser sword on a shield and skewering the big girl with a pike of dark energy, which she proceeded to rip up through the fictions midsection. Ink spilt out and splashed onto Raven's face. But in the scarlet red of Raven's eyes, the ink had more of a dark-red shade to it.

Gargal girl came next, followed by another. Raven laced her fingers, focused and separated her hands. The two fictions found the top halves of their bodies ripping away from their legs, their inky guts raining down around the demon girl.

Raven didn't smile, she didn't show any indication that what she was doing brought her joy, because though it did give her emotional satisfaction, she was too focused on getting to the Mistress to waste any energy communicating it to her face.

One final fiction. This was a big girl with a cape and she was glowing with golden light.

"Ha! That's my most powerful fiction." The Mistress boasted, "It's the most powerful character ever created, and you'll never..."

SNAP! Went its neck and it dropped like all the others.

It was just Raven and the Mistress now, and Raven suddenly had a need to play with her toy before ripping it apart.

She gave the Mistress a creepy, sadistic smile before closing her eyes, leaving the big girl in total darkness.

"Umm... can we talk about this."

Raven levitated up soundlessly above the Mistress so she didn't know where the goth girl was.

"Oranges and Lemons,

Say the bells of saint Clemons." Raven sang creepily. She felt the Mistress's fear. Raven loved it.

"You owe me five farthings,

Say the bells of saint Martin's."

At any moment the mistress could die, and she knew it.

Raven could sense where everything was in her mind, and she was careful to avoid bumping into anything that'd give away her position.

She hovered behind the Mistress and said.

"When will you pay me?

said the bells of old baily."

The Mistress panicked and ran as fast as she could, bumping into things, hurting herself.

 _Good..._

"When I grow rich,

say the bells of shoreditch."

The Mistress had found her desk and was desperate to write something, anything. She fumbled in the darkness and did come across Mjolnir, that magic hammer. She again attempted to pick it up, but it still deemed her unworthy.

"When will that be?

Say the bells of Stepney."

The Mistress was doing something behind the desk, but Raven couldn't tell what with her eyes closed. She was holding a device in her hands.

Raven opened her eyes, the Mistress had some kind of tablet-like device and she was typing away furiously.

CRACK! Went the screen and it went blank.

"Ha!" The Mistress said in triumph. "I've given myself powers to equal yours! In fact, I'm more powerful than you now!"

Could she do that? Alter herself?

"You're going down, you evil Dalek!"

And she attempted to throw an energy blast at Raven. But all that came from her hand was a pathetic puff of darkness. Raven wasn't worried. It took years of practice to master her own powers. The Mistress may have power now, but not the experience to use it. It would be like having the TARDIS, but no knowledge of how to fly it. It'd just be a fancy phone booth.

Raven advanced again.

"I do not know,

Says the great bell at Bow." Raven continued to sing. She didn't bother closing her eyes now.

The Mistress backed away and was moving towards the Master Brain. Did she have an escape? If she did then Raven wasn't going to let her use it.

Raven's powers focused on Mjolnir. But even with her powers, she couldn't pick it up. But she tried something else. She used her powers to funnel a cushion of air under the hammer and that made it lift up, and using just air pressure itself Raven forced the hammer forwards at great speed, into the gut of the Mistress. When she fell back Raven placed the hammer across her foot. She couldn't lift nor even move it as Raven approached her, ready to play.

The teen stood over her. ' _None of this magic nonsense that desensitises you to the deed,'_ As the Doctor had once said. ' _if you must kill, do it with your bare hands.'_

Raven knelt down over the Mistress.

"Here comes a candle to light you to bed,"

Raven's eyes burnt more intensely, and a dark aura formed around her like a black flame. She then clamped her long fingers around the Mistress's throat.

"And here comes a chopper to chop off your head!"

Raven put pressure on the girls' turkey neck and delighted in the fear she radiated. Raven also liked the shade of blue the woman was turning.

The goth girl prepared to take her first, real life.

"Chip... chop... chip... chop... and you... are... dead!"

She clamped her fingers down.

* * *

"NO!" Shouted a voice and Raven found herself being yanked backwards from the Mistress. Someone's arms were clamped around her stomach, pulling her away.

Her cool shell was gone, and instead what boiled through was utter rage. Raven clawed at the air trying to get the Mistress, but she was being dragged away.

"LET GO OF ME! GET OFF ME!" Raven spat.

"Raven, it's the Doctor!" He said, "Don't do it!"

"SHE DESERVES IT! GET OFF ME! I'LL KILL HER, I'LL KILL HER. I MEAN IT! I'LL FRICKIN' KILL HER! I'LL KILL HER! I'LL KILL HER!"

"Raven, no!" The Doctor hugged her to him tightly.

"Just this one!" Raven fumed, "Let me just have this one! Please! I promise I'll be good. I'll be good forever and ever, until the end of time. I just want this one! Let me have this one!"

"Raven, control yourself. I know she hurt you, but no!"

"I don't want to hear your morals, I want blood! I want her to suffer!"

"I know she hurt you, but don't do it!" The Doctor released one hand and clamped Raven's arms down. "It starts with one, you justify one, but then you justify another, and another, and another, and it'll never stop."

"It will, I promise!" Raven snarled and again she tried to reach for the Mistress, "Just after this one! Let me have her!" Her powers were unfocused and out of control as rage erupted. Flashes and bangs rained down around the Mistress, one even caught her leg, but none landed in a place that would do lasting damage.

The Doctor released Raven, but spun her around to face him. Then he clamped his hands on her shoulders as Raven struggled. She prepared to blast his face off for interfering. But the moment she saw his grey eyes she found she couldn't. She didn't know why, but seeing him was making her anger ebb away to be replaced by... by... by shame... Great shame.

The fire in her eyes began to die as did the glowing redness.

"It's alright, it's over." The Doctor said, and he tried to bring her forward and hug her. But she pulled away. She felt wretched and cold.

"Doctor, she..." her body shook.

"I know, I know." The Doctor said, holding her face in his hands.

"I... I'm sorry." Raven found herself croaking as her jaw quivered.

"Shhh." The Doctor shushed and gently he pushed on her shoulders to force her into a chair by the desk. "It's alright. It's fine now. I won't let the Mistress get away with all she's done." The Doctor turned to the Mistress, still trapped under the magic hammer. "She's made a blunder, one I don't think she fully understands the meaning of." The Doctor said with a look on his face which usually meant, either he'd thought up something clever, or the bad guy had defeated themselves and not realised it.

Raven swallowed. She'd lost total control, and it was horrible.

"Are you alright, now?" The Doctor asked, but she was too shaken to speak. "The TARDIS is parked outside, do you want to go to it?"

Raven shook her head, fighting back the emotions and forcing them back into the box in her mind they belonged in.

"Let me deal with the Mistress, I promise you, she'll get her just deserts."

Raven wasn't happy about this. She still wanted to rip, tear, dismember and break the Mistress herself. "Okay..." she said quietly.

The Doctor tried to give her a hug again, but, though it would feel nice, Raven forcibly pushed the Time Lord away. She didn't want it, she didn't deserve it.

Raven watched as the Doctor stood and walked over to the Mistress. He knelt down, ran his fingers through his hair and said.

"Now, what am I supposed to do with you?"

* * *

"How could you travel with such a nasty piece of work?!" The Mistress fumed, still trapped under the magic hammer. "When there are other girls who'd be better to travel with!"

"Raven suits me just fine." The Doctor said, "She's just a diamond in the rough."

"She's an evil creature, she nearly killed me!" The Mistress fumed.

"Well, I'm not happy about it." He turned to look at Raven, then back at the Mistress. "But you did pile on the pressure, pester her. I can't remember everything that went on myself, but I recall she had an ideal life for herself, and you saw fit to tear it down. Wouldn't anyone be upset?"

"I was just trying to wake her up from her fiction." The Mistress argued.

"So you could place her in one you created." The Doctor answered back, "Don't pretend like that was something angelic." There was a pause, the Mistress had no answer to that. "The war is over, the fictions are all rebelling against you."

"They're just fictions, they're not real. Why are you treating them like real people?!" The Mistress fumed.

"You're against prejudice, intolerance, bigotry and the like? Correct?" The Doctor asked.

"Yes, of course!"

"Your view of the fictions here is the same view as the Spanish Conquistadors when they found the Aztecs and the Mayans, or how the Roman Empire thought of the Britains, or how the Daleks view all other life in the Universe. The idea of 'They're not like us, they don't feel pain like us, so we can treat them as objects because they are not a level of consciousness we recognise.' Bla, bla, bla."

"Don't you compare me to the Daleks!" The Mistress spat in outrage.

"Your attitude is the same. It's just aimed at another group." The Doctor said.

"I've heard this argument before. It just shows your ignorance, if you can't tell me and the Daleks apart!" The Mistress spat.

"I think it shows your own ignorance if you can't see how similar you are." The Doctor answered back.

"I fight for truth, justice..." The Mistress began.

"And I met a group of Cybermen who's philosophy was, 'If we are all the same there will be no prejudice, there will be total equality."

"Don't compare me to the Cybermen!" The Mistress spat back, "The fact you say that proves you are ignorant."

"I do recognise my ignorance, but that doesn't make my words false."

"Yes, they do! It means you don't know what you're talking about!" The Mistress looked at the Doctor accusingly as if this was something there should be no discussion on.

"And you are confident you are not ignorant?" The Doctor asked. The Mistress nodded, fire in her eyes.

"That's the Dunning-Kruger effect." The Doctor said, "it states that, those of us who are the most confident are the most incompetent; and the more competent people are actually those full of doubts about their actions." The Doctor said, sounding like a wise teacher.

"You never second guess, you never doubt yourself!" The Mistress fired back, and the Doctor just sighed deeply.

"I do, I second guess all the time. Sadly, that's not how the stories paint me." The Doctor said. "The version of the Doctor you know is just a fiction. I'm always thinking, and re-thinking 'what would be the best action for the universe?'"

"Your reputation is dangerous!" The Mistress said, "You are not fit to wield such power over people."

"I don't want that power over people, that's the point." The Doctor said firmly. "No one should ever follow me or my words, because I might have everything wrong. I do good, I win, I succeed. But I'm no angel. Despite my degrees, my doctorates, my vast scientific knowledge, all I really am is an idiot, travelling around in a magic box with a screwdriver, just helping out. That's all I am, that's all I'll ever be. It's all I want to be."

"You have a reputation, Doctor, and a fan base. If you won't lead them, someone else will." The Mistress said.

"Being the head of LINDA, that someone is you." The Doctor shook his head. The point hung in the air.

Raven just sat, watched, and took it all in.

"You know. You were never supposed to be the Mistress of the Land of Fiction." The Doctor said, "I've had a look inside the Master Brain. Despite being in charge of a world of utter illogical nonsense it made a typical computer mistake. You are head of a production company. But that doesn't mean you have any imagination, nor expertise as a creator." The Doctor shrugged, "From my experience, the people who run the entertainment industry are the least imaginative people in the world."

"What are you saying?" The Mistress said.

"You weren't promoted because you have a great imagination. That's what the Master Brain assumed. You were promoted for... other reasons." The Doctor didn't elaborate. "The Master Brain usually sets up tests for its new Master or Mistress to determine their creative power. But I guess Mortimus disabled those protocols when he installed someone he wanted as Master, when he laid that trap for me. Hence, why you weren't tested before you were given power."

"This doesn't matter! I am still the Mistress of the Land of Fiction. I control this world, I will rebuild it!" The Mistress said in defiance.

"A fiction cannot be Mistress of the Land of Fiction." The Doctor said.

"What are you talking about? I'm no fiction!" The Mistress said back.

"Aren't you?" The Doctor asked, "Why did you write about yourself like you were fiction?"

The Doctor left that to hang in the air for a second, and an uneasy look came over the Mistress.

"You tried to give yourself Raven's powers, in fact, more than that, Raven's powers, plus. A fictional power." The Doctor said, "That can only happen if the thing you altered becomes fictional first. You see, that is the trap of this place. It's far easier to turn yourself into fiction, than it is to turn other people into fiction, and it can be done accidentally, so very easily."

The Mistress looked at her hands.

"I almost did it when I first came here." The Doctor said. "But luckily, I realised what I was about to do before I did it."

The Time Lord took a book from his pocket and began to write inside it.

"I can't be fictional, I'm real, I'm alive. I'm the Mistress, and you can make me say whatever you want me to say!" The Mistress clamped her hand over her mouth.

The Doctor showed her the book.

"But... that's what I said!" The Mistress said, "and I said that too! And that! Why are the words appearing on the page?!"

The Doctor pulled the book away and continued to write.

"It's the book of your life story. It's what you're bound to now, a little like a genie to a lamp. This whole book is your existence. But unlike a genie, you can't be set free from it."

"But the Land of Fiction needs a Mistress!" The Mistress protested.

"Oh, I think I can sort that out." The Doctor said, "I know a creative mind who'd love this place to play around in. In fact, I've already done it. I used the Master Brain to take someone's brain pattern before his death and I've transferred it into the core of the Master Brain." The Doctor looked to the ceiling. "What do you think, Mr Lee?"

"Excelsior, Doctor!" Said the voice of an elderly man, but still with great youth to him. "This place is marvellous!"

"The world of fiction would be a poorer place without you." The Doctor said to the voice.

"Who is that arsehole?!" The Mistress cursed at the ceiling.

"Hey, Hey! Don't make me come down there, you punk!" The old voice said.

"No fighting, no fighting." The Doctor said calmly to the voice. Then he turned to face the Mistress again. He held up the book that was her life, it was still open. "I don't think I need to point out the irony of your punishment. But I'm sure the fictions here will make you realise that, when they get their hands on you."

The Mistress looked up in horror.

"Doctor, you can't leave me to the mercy of these fictions!" The Mistress screamed. "You're the Doctor, you're supposed to show mercy to an enemy."

"And as I've said," the Time Lord sighed, "'the Doctor' that LINDA knows, is just a fiction."

"You frickin' Dale..." The Doctor closed the book with a bang.

And the Mistress had just vanished.

* * *

Raven sat in her favourite chair in the TARDIS control room. The Time Rotor was moving, so both she and the Doctor had left the Land of Fiction far behind them. But Raven felt empty. The part of her that was still Rachel was crying, and no matter how she tried, she couldn't force these feelings down into a box.

She'd finally known what it was like to have friends. Real, supportive friends, and a family, she'd known what it was like to have a family; and the Mistress had cruelly torn them all away from her. She tried to murder Rachels parents, made Rachels friends betray her and not only watched but helped a wicked woman beat her up. All because the woman had convinced them Rachel was the problem.

But she should be used to this, it used to happen all the time in the Temple in Azarath. But this was different. This time she felt a connection with the people she called 'friends', and they had callously stuck a knife in her back.

Raven now knew the weight and meaning of the word 'Betrayal'.

"Raven..." The Doctor said, waving his hand up and down in front of her staring eyes. "Raven... are you alright?"

She didn't answer. She was too focused on these thoughts in her head. Trying to wrestle them down into a box.

"What did she do to you?" The Doctor asked with genuine concern. He knelt down in front of her so she was forced to look at his face, but her staring eyes didn't look into his. She was too ashamed of herself for losing it and lashing out. But the scary thing was, she still wanted to do it. If she were to see the Mistress right now, she wouldn't hesitate to rip her face off.

"Rae-Rae," he said, "Do you want anything? Tea? Muffins? Jelly Babies?" She just wanted him to go away for five minutes and leave her alone.

"Waffles..." she said quietly, "I want waffles..."

The Doctor stood and turned to move away. But he paused and looked at her. "You're not going to do something 'silly' are you?"

Raven gently shook her head. She wasn't suicidal, just depressed, and underneath that, she was angry. Very, very angry!

"I'll be back soon." and he was gone, heading towards the kitchen.

In reality, Raven wasn't hungry, except for revenge. She wanted the Doctor out of the way because he'd never approve of what she was about to do.

After the Mistress's defeat, over the next few hours, all the wall decorations containing real people had been cracked open, and the people inside returned to their proper places. The fictions rejoiced because they were free again, and now under the guidance of an eternal Master of the Land of Fiction.

This Mr Lee character, whom the Doctor seemed to know well.

Raven still felt empty inside after her outburst and wanted to return to the TARDIS. Along the way, she saw there was a party happening in the square of this compound. Music was playing and fictions rejoiced. She saw Gulliver, Captain Hook, Aladdin, the Karkus, the Ed boy, Apu, the Elwin Brothers, who were on stage. The Doctor was even getting in on the festivities. Among the fictions Raven saw a familiar face. Rachel Roth, her fiction, just there, among all the other made-up creatures.

Raven didn't want to confront her so she dipped into the TARDIS at the first opportunity. But not before Raven spotted something on the desk in front of the Master Brain. Four somethings. Four books, one red, one blue, one green, another a dark purple.

She took the purple one and opened it. The first page identified it as 'Raven, a character bio' briefly she read it, and the more she read the more she began to get angry. The Mistress had been trying to write her own fictional history for Raven. Presumably, this would become Raven's past once she'd been fictionalised. The Mistress didn't know anything about Azarath, but had correctly guessed she was the daughter of a demon. But what boiled her blood was when the book stated that Raven was in fact an evil agent who intended to turn on the Doctor and try to kill him, only to be saved by new companion Dolores, the same one! A companion who was 'better', 'smarter' and 'unlike Raven, good'.

Raven was so angry that her powers escaped through her fingers and caused the book to fly apart into atoms.

Anger still bubbling again when she then opened the green book. 'The Doctor, a character bio.'

Most of what she read in it appeared to matched what she already knew of the Doctor. But soon she hit pages that were clearly written by someone else and the first hints of fiction began to show. The first fiction was trying to pretend the Doctor had more regenerations prior to his first incarnation. Many so many previous 'Doctors' it boggled Raven's mind. Eight of him were bad enough. Of course, Raven knew this was false having been inside the Doctor's head and seeing him as a young boy at the academy on Gallifrey. That and she'd hear more than just eight voices in the Doctor's head.

Reading on she also found more, 'retconning' she believed the word was. The Mistress had tried to insert a Doctor between the second and third Doctors for some reason. That didn't make sense either, Raven would've sensed that too, even if he'd magically forgotten it she'd hear that extra voice in his head and a female one would be very distinctive. By the description of this 'missing Doctor' it was clearly a self insert character, it was the Mistress herself with only a few differences. Failing to insert herself into the Doctor's future she'd tried to insert herself into the Doctor's established history.

Raven didn't want to read any further, she'd seen enough. The demon girl suspected the big bitch had tried to write in future Doctors, perhaps some which went beyond the thirteen regeneration limit. But Raven didn't want to know. As far as she was concerned they had won, all this drivel shall remain a fiction. This realm is the only place this fiction would hold any power, and that's how it would stay.

But despite knowing this, Raven was still furious. Not satisfied with trying to muck around with Raven's own personal history and character the Mistress had set about re-writing Raven's friend. For some reason that pissed her off more. A dark glow began to form around Raven. The pale girl was used to people demonising her, choosing only to see a dark, fictional version of herself. But the Mistress had tried to alter her friend. But why? To piss Raven off? Because the Mistress wanted a 'pat on the head' from someone? Was it just because she could and no one could stop her? Raven was just so pissed off that the Mistress would play around with someone like this, like they were her puppets to command!

Raven accidentally dropped the book just before power could escape her and destroyed it. She stamped on it, then kicked it away. The pages flying open as it flew through the air. Sliding under the Master brain where she couldn't get at it, like it was hiding from her.

Then Raven spied the blue and red books. She opened them and discovered they were bios for two other people in the Land of Fiction. Discretely, Raven swiped both of them and vanished into the TARDIS with them. _Two can play at this game!_

Back in the present. From under Raven's cloak, she pulled out the red book. The book about the life of the Mistress, the book that her entire life was now tied to, every detail was in here. Raven also pulled out the blue book. The story of Rachel Roth, Raven's own character.

What Raven was going to do was complicated, but it should work. After all, fictions can jump between books as long as you know it's the same character.

The Doctor may have allowed the Mistress to get off easy after everything she'd done to her. But Raven was not that forgiving, the Mistress was going to pay, and Raven was going to make sure of it. The Mistress was going to feel what it was like to have someone play around with your history.

Opening both books Raven skipped to the end in both, where there were a load of blank pages. Enough to expand the story.

The Mistress's book had an epilogue which ended the tale for her. Raven quickly scanned it and decided it got in the way of what she was going to do. So she ripped it out, held the pages in her hands and watched them burn in black fire, destroying that portion of the now fictional Mistress.

She didn't deserve a happy ending! Not even a mediocre ending. Raven was going to make the Mistress's fictional life a nightmare.

Taking an ink bottle from the table next to her, Raven used her powers so the ink flowed out of the bottle and assembled itself in the pages of the book and formed into words. It was quicker than writing it out herself, and Raven wanted to do this quickly while the Doctor was out of the console room; and while this fire still burnt in her heart.

Raven detailed how the Mistress fell from grace and vanished during a time warp or something, Raven didn't know, she wasn't being very explicit. Only that, when she vanished, she vanished from this book so she could appear in another. The last thing she wrote about the Mistress was that...

 _'She felt paralysed and stuffed into a small dark box. She feared she'd been buried alive. But then she heard movement. Her coffin moved suddenly and the lid was opened up.'_

The Mistress was about to leave her own book and become a minor character in the book about Rachel Roth. A very minor character, so minor she wouldn't even be a character, technically.

She wrote the story first from the Mistress's perspective in her book, then from Rachels point of view in the blue book. She also quickly introduced a few things like hidden magics and stuff to this world, so what she was about to do didn't shatter the fiction.

Raven paused, and decided to add a new character to the story too, to put right a great mistake Raven had made earlier.

In all honesty, it was a rush job, but it would do the trick.

* * *

Rachel arrived home having walked rather than let her Dad drive her. It was wet, it was rainy, but that was okay, she kind of liked rainy days.

"Here's my little girl!" Her Dad said. Rachel groaned.

"Dad! Not in front of my friend!" She said through gritted teeth. Rachel still loved her dad and liked his affection, but it was just embarrassing when he did it in front of her friends.

"I'm sure young Barriss doesn't mind." Her Dad said about the girl next to Rachel.

The girl was foreign. She had olive coloured skin with diamond tattoos across the bridge of her nose. She also wore a dark hooded cloak, which she said was part of her religion, and Rachel thought the cloak was kind of cool.

"I don't mind." Barriss said, smiling, "I think it's charming a father can love his daughter so much."

"Yeah, sure." Rachel said, "We're going upstairs Dad to do school work."

"Dinner will be ready in half an hour, little Rae-Rae!" He called up as they went up the stairs. Rachel was behind Barriss and she gave her Dad dagger eyes for calling her that.

"Dad, I am so gonna kill you!" She hissed through her teeth. But he knew her too well. She'd never lay a finger on her Dad.

They passed Rachels mom on the landing, as happy as ever. She'd recovered well from the crash. They quickly said hello before the two girls entered Rachel's room.

In the proceeding months, Dolores and her family had been arrested, because it turned out her own dad, the police chief was highly corrupt, and he and her mother were running some kind of drug smuggling ring from inside their house, something they found out when they chased Rachel into their house. Dolores was exposed as a twisted bully and was in a mental hospital.

Rachel's friends had returned to her. It turned out the drug Dolores's parents grew made people docile and obedient.

Rachels Doctor Teachers were re-instated back, though the horrid Headmistress stayed. Rachel could live with that.

Then Barriss had dropped out of the sky, literally, and was trying to fit in.

She was from another dimension where fictions were real. She'd been attacked by some kind of darkness, but before she died some time rift opened up and swallowed her and she dropped right into Rachels world.

Barriss seemed a little confused at first, and scared of Rachel, going so far as to call her 'Raven'. Apparently, Rachel looked a little like the girl who attacked her. Rachel didn't take that personally. Barriss later calmed down and was settling into her new life here posing as a foreign exchange student. She had some really weird powers too. She could move things with her mind.

Barriss wasn't the only thing that dropped into Rachels life as she was about to show Barriss.

Rachel took a box from under her bed, unlocked it and from it she pulled out a stuffed doll. It had a shock of blue hair and was greatly overweight.

"I'm going to use this as my voodoo doll." Rachel said, "I found it in the basement, and it looks a little like Dolores, apart from the blue hair. Whenever I get stressed I'm going to poke needles into it."

"Rachel. That looks like the Mistress." Barriss said, "I wonder how it got here."

"This is the big bad guy you were fighting against?" Rachel asked.

"Well, yes." Barriss shrugged.

"Want to poke needles in it?" Rachel asked sadistically, holding a box of needles.

"It couldn't hurt." Barriss said as she took a needle and forced one through the shoulder of the doll.

Barriss shuddered, and Rachel asked what was wrong.

"I don't know." Barriss sounded unsure, "But when I pushed that needle into it, it's as if a life screamed out in pain."

"It is a voodoo doll." Rachel said, forcing another needle right up its backside.

Barriss shuddered again. "It's creepy, but I get the feeling those eyes are looking directly at me. Like they can see. Like a soul is looking out at me."

Rachel looked at the doll. "It's your imagination."

* * *

 _'She looked out in horror as the two girls held the doll which contained her soul.'_ Raven wrote into the Mistress's book.

 _'The pale girl picked up another needle and slowly she pushed it through her backside. The pain was intense, like a giant rod of metal was being pushed up into her arse.'_

 _"STOP IT, STOP IT! YOU EVIL DALKES'!" She tried to scream, but the doll was mute._

 _The green girl shuddered again. "It's creepy, but I get the feeling those eyes are looking directly at me. Like they can see. Like a soul is looking out at me"_

 _The goth girl looked at the doll. "It's your imagination." and she put another needle into the dolls back._

 _She tried to scream, wanted to scream, but she couldn't._

 _Setting the doll down the goth girl began lighting incense sticks with a lighter. Then picked up another needle, but held it in a pair of tweezers as she heated it up with the lighter._

 _"Isn't that a tad sadistic?" The green girl asked._

 _"It's just a doll, I can't hurt it!" The goth girl picked up her doll body again and held the needle, which was burning red, and pointed it directly at the dolls eye._

 _"NO, STOP, PLEASE!" She tried to say, "I'm alive, please help, I'm alive!" But the doll body gave no indication to the soul within._

 _"You must really hate this 'Dolores'." The green girl said._

 _"It's not legal nor ethical to do this to her directly." the goth girl said, "So I'll pay back my bruises with this thing. You never know, maybe Dolores can actually feel it."_

 _And the red hot needle shot forwards._

* * *

"I thought we were here to do school work." Barriss said, she didn't like what she was seeing.

"Okay, fair enough." Rachel said, pulling the needles out.

Barriss began unpacking their school things while Rachel put the doll back down into its box.

"We'll play more later," She said to it. "I have a lot of issues to work through." And Rachel shut and locked the box.

* * *

 _'Her doll body was laid to rest again in the box. The goth girl looked down at her coldly and said. "We'll play more later, I have a lot of issues to work through." and the lid was shut on her._

 _She understood what was happening. It was something she was going to do to two other people before she'd fallen into this trap they were now doing it to her instead. In her mind she still didn't see what she did as bad. In her mind she was just the defeated hero. But no matter her delusion the sad fact was that..._

 _This was now her existence. Now and forever.'_

Raven was finished. The two fictions overlapped each other perfectly so the Mistress's soul was tied to the blue book now as well as the red one.

Raven then turned to the Mistresses book, and one by one she began tearing pages out and burning them with her powers. She started with single pages, then ten pages at a time, then entire chapters. With each page gone the Mistress became less.

When the book was destroyed the Mistress would have no other cannon forms to take, except for Rachels Voodoo doll.

Raven held up the red book and savoured the moment.

She then ripped out the final few pages of the book, the pages she'd written, and then the rest of the Mistresses book was blasted to atoms, leaving nothing but a cloud of fine dust that slowly vanished into nothing. The Mistress was trapped now as someone less than a minor character in the story of Rachel Roth, and Rachel Roth was going to be anything but a kind, forgiving owner to her.

Raven inserted the loose pages from the Mistresses book into the blue book. The demon girl imagined what Rachel would do to torture that trapped soul and it brought a smile to her face. She only wished she could do it herself. She'd always wanted a voodoo doll.

Raven looked at what she'd written and sharply she closed the book. When she did, she was certain she heard a woman's scream that was sharply cut off.

To make sure no one interfered, Raven used her powers to fuse the pages together, so no one could ever read it, nor change it.

When she was done she hid the book on her person and waited for the Doctor to return.

As she sat, she thought.

Raven knew who she was now. She was a monster. An irredeemable, malicious monster. Rachel had lost friends, but what were friends? Friends didn't care about you, only in what you could grant them. The moment you become useless to them they toss you aside to forget about you. All friends wanted to use you, and they'd turn on you eventually. Kindness? It didn't exist. It was all manipulation. Rachel had been weak to rely on her friends for self-worth. Raven was never going to rely on anyone ever again. She'd had it.

It would be better to be alone and be content, then have company will one day betray you. She decided.

How long before the Doctor turned on her? The person she probably trusted most in the whole Universe? Aside from her own, real mother. It was only a matter of time before he tired of her and kicked her out the TARDIS door. Raven's eyes began to glow. She should assert her dominance now before he takes advantage of her merciful nature. She'd just seen how ruthless he could be when he threw the Mistress to the wolves. How long before he became that way with her?

Something was placed down in her lap, snapping Raven out of her dark thoughts.

The Doctor had returned and he'd placed a tray on her lap with a knife and fork, and a plate of steaming waffles. He'd been good on his word.

"What's this?" Raven asked, something about this made Raven feel... weird.

"It's what you wanted." The Doctor said.

Raven looked around the console room.

"But... this is the TARDIS console room." Raven's voice cracked, just a little. "You never let me eat in the console room."

"I know. Bon Apatite!" The Doctor said.

Something about this gesture just turned everything up in Raven's head. The Doctor never let her eat in the console room. She expected the Doctor to tell her to go to the dining hall to eat. But he'd brought it here to the console room.

He never let anyone eat in the console room.

Was it drugged? Was it poisoned? Her suspicious mind couldn't work out why he was breaking a rule that he, himself set up.

"Why?" Raven asked. She expected a flippant response, but she got a serious one.

"You seemed comfortable there. Take all the time you need." The Doctor said, "But don't think this is going to be the norm."

"Why aren't you angry?" Raven asked, "I flipped out."

"I'm disappointed, but I know you were in the heat of the moment, and deep down you regretted what you tried to do." The Doctor smiled a little, confidently.

Raven's eyes grew and her face dropped further than it usually sat. She didn't think what she did was wrong. She thought what she did was right. But the Doctor looked concerned, yet content in the belief she had enough of a conscience to regret her actions.

No one ever expressed that about her after an outburst. As new thoughts rushed through her head she found she did regret what she did... a little. But her anger blinded her to that feeling. Worse still was that Raven had gone a step further behind the Doctors back and sadistically put the Mistress in a position where she'd be tortured forever; and that she seriously considered doing nasty things to the Time Lord in case he got any ideas about controlling her.

Raven pushed the plate off her lap, she wasn't hungry, and she placed it onto the table next to the chair.

"I'm not hungry," she said as she stood up, a little too hurriedly. Externally she tried to look emotionless, calm and at peace, but inside...

She looked at the Doctor and their eyes met.

 _Dad will be disappointed if he finds out._ Raven began to walk. She tried to make it look like she was doing it calmly. But her gate gave away something was wrong.

Returning to her room the door opened, closed and then locked at Raven's command.

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

Power escaped her, destroying a twisted pot, a statue of a raven and an urn she had just because it looked kind of cool, but was now in bits.

 _My powers!_ Raven thought, _My powers are evil!_ The moment she started channelling her powers through her anger it was like a slippery slope. Like a breaking dam, the more power that went through her anger, the more power could escape through it making her emotions more extreme and violent. She'd just witnessed it first hand with her anger and fury. _My powers are evil! I never want to use them again, never, ever! EVER!_

BANG! Went the door of her dresser.

Raven pressed her back up against the wall and sank down, clutching her head. As she curled up she felt something jab at the left side of her chest.

From under her broach, she pulled the heart-shaped pocket watch the Wizard of Oz had given her. The broken one. But It was ticking, and the hands were moving, like it had decided to come to life.

A metaphor?

Raven stood and looked at it for a good long while.

A dark look came over her face.

She dropped it to the floor and she sharply stamped down on it, once, twice, thrice.

 _It's a lie!_ Her mind screamed. _A lie! Lie! LIE!_

The watch was crushed under her foot. Then she kicked it so sharply it flew under her bookshelf leaving a trail of red bits behind.

The watch was lying, the watch lies! She was twisted, she was evil, she no longer cared about the people around her. She was a cold, heartless monster who delighted in torturing people! She couldn't be trusted with these powers!

BANG! Went her bedside lamp.

Raven took a deep breath to calm herself again. She was too emotional. If she was going to banish these powers from her life then she'll need to start by squashing any exit her powers had, including her emotions.

Raven went into her cloak and extracted the blue book. From within she could sense the Mistress's soul. It was still screaming.

Raven's shame evaporated when she remembered everything the Mistress had done to her. It was causing her anger.

Sharply she tossed the book into a trunk, shut the lid and chose to forget all about it.

Still, in a mood, Raven crossed her legs, adopted a meditation position, with her arms up as Barriss had suggested. Raven closed her eyes and cleared her mind as she tried to file these emotions away and lock them up, along with her evil abilities.

From under her bookcase, the heart-shaped watch was battered, broken. It looked beyond repair. The hands had fallen off, so it could give no obvious signs that the mechanism within was still ticking.

Still ticking... it just wasn't obvious.

* * *

Raven scowled as Star Fire hugged her from the neck tightly. Raven's arms were by her sides. She still wasn't used to this touchy-feely stuff.

"Oh, friend Raven, I am so sorry you went through that." She said with genuine love and affection. It was not needed. Raven had long since come to terms with that trauma. But despite that, she didn't want to tell Star to let go.

Her eyes rolled to Beast Boy who had an astonished look on his face.

"Dude, that was just messed up! You went full Carrie!" Raven was too surprised Beast Boy knew who or what Carrie even was to be angry. At first. Then the anger came. But the smack didn't. She'd save it for later.

Raven hadn't told them what she did afterwards, with the Mistress. Trapping her in a fiction of Raven's creation to suffer. That part she'd conveniently forgot about.

"That's enough contact, thank you." Raven said and Star Fire reluctantly let Raven go.

"After what I went through." Raven said, "When I finally calmed down I realised how destructive my powers could be, and how close I nearly fell into darkness." Raven said, then her eyes turned to Beast Boy, who'd kept mocking her about 'sitting still and doing nothing.'

"That's why meditation is so important to me." She said.

Beast Boy quickly held up his hands and laughed nervously, "Hey, don't let me stop you."

"I thought the Doctor was going to be angry with me. I expected punishment, I was almost going to demand it. But he just gave me space. I think he knew I'd come to my senses. When I did I vowed I'd never use my powers again. Never. I'd decided they were evil. I'd learn to control them, only so I would never use them.

"But your powers are what make you, you!" Star Fire protested.

"But you use your powers now!" Beast Boy said.

Raven rolled her eyes and was prepared to bite at Beast Boy, but Star Fire put her words more diplomatically.

"Obviously, friend Raven changed her mind at a later date."

"Yes." Raven felt sad now as more memories drifted in.

Star Fire stood. "I think perhaps we've had enough stories for one night." She decided.

"Oh, come on, Star!" Beast Boy protested, "That was just one! There were three last night!"

"Perhaps, Friend Raven will tell us more stories of her past tomorrow." Star Fire said.

Raven sighed and said dismissively. "Yeah, sure why not?" Before adding with cold sarcasm, "I am so happy for the attention."

With that, Star Fire and Beast Boy left.

With them gone, Raven pushed the broken laptop off her and it clattered to the floor. That wasn't the object which sparked the memories. The laptop was a piece of junk Cyborg was throwing out.

From within the chest, Raven pulled out a blue book.

This was what sparked the memory. The story of Rachel Roth. The book which still contained the soul of the Mistress. A soul which was spending eternity being treated like a voodoo doll by the fictional character Rachel Roth, a character the Mistress, herself had tortured. At the time it only seemed fitting for Rachel to get her revenge.

But, with a few more years maturity now, Raven had considered releasing the Mistress. Giving her the only freedom she could ever have from the Land of Fiction. Death. True death, through pure obscurity.

She could unstick the pages of the book. Rip out the pages relating to the Mistress, and burn them. With no fiction, the Mistress would just vanish, as if she'd never existed.

But as Raven recounted the story she began to have second thoughts about whether she wanted the Mistress's punishment to stop.

Raven could release the Mistress. But then, Raven's desk did have an annoying wobble to it, and this book, with all the pages intact, looked to be just the right width to correct that wobble.

Raven looked back to the book, then back at the desk.

Clear her conscience? Or correct the wobbly desk?

 _"_ Oh, the agony of choice." Raven sarcastically said.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** What do you think she decided in the end? :P

61 chapters, congratulations on making it this far. :P

27 chapters long. Blimey, this is half the actual story so far. I'm not sure how many of these epic ones I'll do, but I promise the next one will be shorter. ;)

Yeah, Raven is very sadistic and vengeful when you really piss her off. Though that is something she's obviously going to grow out of.

This chapter was honestly hard to write. It was kind of difficult because though I could imagine what Raven was like when she was angry, but in her depressed peroid it was a struggle to NOT make her sound emo while her emotions flowed. But I think I've avoided it, because emos tend to express their negative emotions openly to the world, whereas Raven is trying to hide the fact she feels them at all.

In an earlier draft, Raven and the Doctor had more of a moment. But upon thinking about it, they already had a moment similar to it before. So this time the moment is different, and ends with Raven running from the Doctor rather than him comforting her.

Raven's reluctance to accept the Doctors kindness at the end is a kind of self-punishment Raven is now putting herself through. She's done something horrible, so she feels she shouldn't be worthy of kindness, thus she's pushing people away. To be fair, I didn't write much about it, but it will come up in the next adventure. ;)

I do have another story scenario lined up, and I think it's about time I did something nice for Raven for once. But it's going to be a while until I write it, so stay tuned. ;)

It's only as I was writing this that I've realised I'd gotten Beast Boys character a little wrong. He doesn't say his trademark 'Dude!' nearly as often as he should, so I'll go back and fix that. I don't think I'll let the counterpart Garfield do it though, so there is a difference between Beast Boy and the ficitonal Garfield counterpart. It's obvious who it is anyway. :P

(Additional note: Upon viewing the season 12 final of new Who it turns out the history of the Doctor the Mistress wrote was actually true. I promise I did not edit the chapter before the final to include any of this. I just thought 'what would the Mistress of the Land of Fiction do with the Doctor's history to insert herself into it?' and I thought she'd be the type of fan fiction writer who'd insert herself between 2 and 3 since we never saw the regeneration in the same way the War Doctor was slotted between 8 and 9 (It stemmed from a fan film which never got off the ground which had someone who looked like a mixture of Troughton/Pertwee as an unofficial Doctor bridging between Doctors 2 and 3.) But I also thought the Mistress would also go a step further and pretend there were Doctors before Hartnel and that the Doctor used to be very like her but 'lost his/her way' and would've wrote that knowing it would've pissed Raven off to no end to have the core of her friend rewritten to essentially be the Mistress in mind body and soul. I'm not sure how I feel now that my prediction came true since I've effectively mocked the idea in this story and discounted it as nothing but a fiction. You can probably tell I'm no fan of this massive retcon, but I guess for any who think the idea silly and franchise destroying you can use this as an out to explain that divisive plot twist. Somehow, the Mistress's fiction came true after all. That is, assuming, the Master was telling the whole truth.)

Cheers

-TimeLordParadox


	63. Bk9, Ch 62, The Problem of Self Control

**Book 9**

 **Only for the Weak-Minded.**

Raven is struggling to keep her power suppressed and be normal. But being normal is very difficult when you're used to being odd. As she finds out when the Doctor stops off in a sleepy English Village for reasons he's mysterious about. While stuck there Raven is struck by something all teenage girls face at some point in their lives; and its a rather annoying condition.

* * *

 **Chapter 62**

 **The Problem of Self Control.**

Raven nearly tripped up again as her feet landed on the hem of this stupid skirt! How could she let the Doctor talk her into wearing this impractical dress?

Sure, it was of the period they were in. But the skirt was as long as the one from her Azarathian robes, which she also hated. But, apparently, bare legs or any kind of visible leg-like appendages on a woman was not seen as 'proper' in polite English society in the early 20th century.

Raven could've cast a perception spell on herself, but she wasn't supposed to be using her evil magical powers anymore. So with few options, she had to actually change her attire.

 _I should've told the Doctor to go screw himself when he suggested 'this' dress to me._ She thought in annoyance.

The goth girl risked a glance back. The Doctor was just behind her, ushering her on. Behind him was what they were running from. It wasn't another monster or creature. It was nature. A wall of water was crashing down the corridor towards them as they climbed the corridor. 'Climbed the corridor' being the correct phrase, because the entire corridor was angled downwards into the water.

The Doctor had wanted to take Raven to a ship called the Mauretania in 1910 for a 'nice, relaxing cruise'.

"Doctor, I feel totally relaxed right now." Raven bit at him.

"It's the wrong ship, that's all." They rounded a corner and found some steep, narrow stairs and they began climbing them. "Just don't tell the Time Lords. I assured them I had nothing to do with this."

Now heading upwards they could outrun the torrent of water, that was still creeping up after them. The winding stairs felt weird, only because everything felt like it was tilted down sharply one way. The Doctor lead the charge upwards and Raven was falling behind because of her stupid dress. But as long as the Doctor kept going up then she could follow.

"I say, is someone out there?!" Came a cry off the stairwell, and Raven hesitated before taking another step. "I require some assistance." The voice sounded calm, in the way early 1900's society would called 'British,' but with a hint of urgency about it.

"Doctor!" Raven cried up at the Time Lord, but he was long gone. Raven shouldn't. The Doctor wanted to preserve his precious Web of Time, and Raven agreed that they should not alter history.

"I say, I'm rather stuck and could do with some assistance. Please!" He was stuck? Ravens tongue rolled around her mouth. _I should leave, right now!_ But the image of being trapped under the rising water, of drowning sent a chill down her spine. So what if she rescued him? He'd only die anyway. Still Raven was rooted to the spot as the roar of water slowly crept up the stairs after her.

 _For God sake!_ So what if she helped? It's not like it'd cause any major impacts to the Web of Time. So he'd die from the cold on the deck, instead of in there, no major difference except avoiding a more stressful way to die.

Having ducked off the main stairway Raven emerged into another long, white hallway with doors running down either side as far as they eye could see. There was a balding, moustached man in a dark suit. He kind of looked like a villain from one of the movie reels of the era, but as if to contrast his eyes were soft, calm and gentle. There was also a collapsed pipe laying across him, pinning him down. His calm demeanor was explained by his odour, he stank of whisky.

"Ah, so kind of you to come." The man said slurring his words a little. "I apologise for not being in the best position to received visitors." Instantly, Raven grabbed onto the pipe and tried to lift. But if the man couldn't lift it then her small stature and weak muscles wouldn't be able to budge it either. If she used her powers then...

No, she was not supposed to be using her powers, she'd sworn off them for good. But perhaps she could apply some physics to this situation rather than magic.

There was a red cabinet attached to the wall next to a rolled up firehose, within the cabinet was a fire axe. She didn't intend to try to cut through the pipe with the blade, that would be lunacy. Instead, she jammed it under the pipe and putting her full weight onto the axe the heavy pipe began to lift off the man. He drunkenly climbed out from under it.

"Much obliged." The man said, dusting himself down.

The ships hull creaked and groaned as the angle of the floor began to get subtly steeper by the second.

"Get to the surface." Raven instructed, going so far as to grab the mans arm and pull him a long a little to get his wobbly legs moving. The two raced up the stairs. Raven came to a crashing halt, the man running into the back of her as she met the Doctor coming back down the stairs.

"Where'd you disapeaer off to?" He asked.

"Doing a good deed." Was all Raven said and she physically forced the Time Lord to turn around and head back up the stairway.

They emerged onto the deck of the ship, and there was just utter panic. All around it was pitched dark, the only lights being those from the ship, and the stars and the Milky-way that was clearly visible in the dark sky. The darkness around the ship just merged with the horizon and the inky black ocean making the ship look like it was sitting in total darkness.

The man Raven had saved carried a folded deckchair past her and tossed it into the sea. Walking unsteadily he went back for another and hurled that into the sea too, for all the good they would do.

Raven heard the ships hull groan in agony, it was like the sound of a dying beast crying out for help.

The screeches and screams from the passengers on deck didn't help Ravens mood, nor her headache. She tried to remain calm but the mounting feeling of dread everyone had was having an impact on her. She could feel it. The dread itself was like a torrent of water threatening to sweep her up.

Focus! Focus! She had to focus!

They had to reach the TARDIS and escape. But the TARDIS was parked somewhere in the forward section of the ship, and Raven had a sinking feeling their Time Ship was already underwater. But the Doctor was convinced they still had time to reach it.

Raven wasn't so sure. Looking down the length of the ship she could tell the prow of the ocean liner had already gone under, and through her feet she could feel the deck getting subtly steeper, and steeper.

The ship was fast going down now and...

CRUNCH!"

* * *

Raven was interrupted and she stared at Beast Boy, who had shoveled a hand full of potato chips into his mouth and crunched down noisily.

"Hehe..." he laughed sheepishly, crumbs falling from his mouth and onto the floor. Onto Raven's floor!

"Sorry." He swallowed. He didn't pick up the crumbs that had fallen out of his mouth, in fact, he'd accidentally stood on them, pressing them into her carpet. He was unaware he was doing it and when he settled he looked casual again.

Raven watched him like he was a disgusting insect as he picked out a single chip to eat and he gave her a look which said 'What? What's wrong?' She just groaned.

Raven had barely opened her mouth to continue the tale, but even that single, crunching chip was too distracting.

Forcibly, Raven used her powers and pulled the bag from his grasp.

"You can have these back when I'm done." Raven held up her hand, "No 'buts'!"

Beast Boy crossed his arms sulkily, his long ears drooped and he had a look of someone with a dark cloud over his head.

 _I should kick him out._ Raven thought. _It'd be easier._ But Raven found that she enjoyed his look of suspense as much as she enjoyed the same look on Star Fire.

They both eagerly waited for her to continue.

* * *

Despite all this chaos and panic around her there was still a string band on the deck which kept playing. Latching onto this whimsical music Raven was able to use it like a life preserver and stay afloat in this sea of raw panic.

People were starting to mass at the forward portion of the ship near the bridge. The crew were busy trying to push some flimsy looking boats off the roof of the bridge. Some orse had been placed down at an angle to the deck in order to catch them as they fell.

The crowd gathering was so thick Raven and the Doctor had to force their way through to get to where they'd parked the TARDIS. It was at the bottom of some large, wooden, grand staircase. Looking to the sky at one of the ships mighty funnels, the second one back from the bow, Raven realised they were so close. The staircase in question was between the second and first funnels. If they could just get through this crowd of people and into the staircase there might still be time to head down and reach the TARDIS before everything flooded.

Raven held the Doctors hand as he pushed through the crowd. The demon girl just continued to focus on the music from the string band. It had become rather slow and somber, it sounded like it might be music to a religious hymn. They passed a man who stood, rather reserved, with his hat placed over his chest like he was ready to die. As the string band played on the man began to sing the words, as he did so, others, who'd realised the danger they were in, began to sing too.

"Nearer my God to Thee,

"Nearer to thee,

"E'en though it be cross,

"That raiseth me.

"Still all my song shall be,

"Nearer my God to Thee,

"Nearer to thee."

There was a mounting panic ahead of them and Raven could hear the roar of water spilling over and rushing up. The deck shuddered and it felt like the whole ship had started moving forwards... into the water!

The screams became louder, and louder as the situation reached a chilling realisation. The ship was going down, right now, whether they were ready for it or not!

"ABANDON SHIP!" Someone cried, "EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF!" and a crowd around both Raven and the Doctor began rushing backwards away from the advancing water. A sea of people knocking and pushing each other aside to outrun the advancing water. The Doctor gripped tightly to her hand as the crowd began dragging them back aft like the crowd was a torrent of water itself. Back and back they went, and no matter how you looked at it, that was the wrong way!

Still the men who were singing stood still, the panic around them would not silence their prayer to whatever God might save them.

"There let the way appear,

"Steps unto heaven,

"All that thou sendest me,

"In mercy given,

"Angels beckon to me,

"Nearer my God to thee,

"Nearer to me."

The music from the band slowly came to an end and all that was left were the screams of the passengers, and the cold realisation that they were all going to die.

Raven tried to focus her mind on finding a way to the TARDIS while at the same time stopping her powers from manifesting in any dangerous way. Suddenly, a jolt from someone made Raven lose her grip on the Doctors hand and she was being carried away with the people. She was helpless. Someone took her by the arm and began dragging her back, a man, who probably thought he was being helpful and heroic by leading her away from the water. But she needed to head towards the water, as mad as that sounded, to reach her only means of escape. Raven had to forcibly twist her arm and pull sharply so he let go. The man then ran on, probably convinced he'd done his bit to 'help her along' the idiot!

As Raven turned back she heard what sounded like cracks of thunder. But it was a clear night. She saw a plume of water splash out somewhere near the flooding forward section, followed by another. She was sure cables were breaking free and snapping down into the water like whips. Was it her imagination, or was the forward funnel swaying? No, it wasn't swaying, it was falling over!

Raven watched, stunned as the funnel fell forwards and to the port side. There were people in the water just below it, they spotted it far too late and...

Several lives winked out of existence in the ether.

Raven climbed onto a piece of machinery to get away from the crowd and look for the Doctor. But she couldn't shake what she was feeling. Below her, trapped below decks, Raven could feel lives winking out all over the ship as the water cornered them, and they had nowhere else to run to.

Everyone was screaming, like the world was coming to an end. In a way, it probably was to them. This ship was their world in the middle of this ocean and it was dying, and taking everyone stuck on board with it.

Before, back in the Land of Fiction, Raven had experienced a fictional version of this ship but this was the real thing and it felt much worse knowing that all the people around her weren't fictions this time, but real people with real lives. Most about to come to an end very soon as the freezing Atlantic Ocean dragged down the ship to meet them.

Looking out to sea Raven could see small specks of white which were the few lifeboats which had been launched from the ship. She could feel the utter horror from them, some were probably watching their loved ones die, and they couldn't do anything to stop it.

There was a loud bang, and Raven felt flames lick close by her as the second funnel, which she was standing near, erupted with sparks and began to topple over towards her!

Raven didn't want to use her powers, she didn't want to risk letting them loose while she was in such turmoil, but Raven's brain quickly knew she'd never make it out of the way of that falling stack. It was like her brain had crashed, and she could only watch as the massive hulk loomed towards her. A massive hulk which momentarily turned into a one-hundred foot tall, four eyed demon.

The demon girl didn't know what happened, but something rammed into her and forced her from her feet. She was shocked back to life when she felt the freezing water of the North Atlantic around her. She was in the water, and she couldn't swim!

She fought and struggled, but her waterlogged clothes were weighing her down. She was sinking! The water was about to close over her face! She was going to drown!

She broke the surface and was hauled upwards and she grabbed onto the back of the Doctors neck. Now her brain realised what had happened. He'd ran into her and pushed them both overboard and into the water mere moments before that funnel crushed her.

 _Oh god, I'm never going to live this down!_ Raven decided, but was also grateful at the same time.

But the people... and with the screaming... she was freezing... Raven was going to die here, on this ship in the middle of the North Atlantic, in 1912! NO!

She could feel her powers mounting behind her frustration. Keep them under control, keep them under control. Control, control, control!

"Raven!" The Doctor cried, he didn't sound cold at all! "I can see the TARDIS!"

Raven opened her eyes, and her heart filled with hope. Indeed, there was the TARDIS bobbing in the water on its side with both doors above the water. The falling stack had broken the skylight over that luxurious staircase they had parked the TARDIS in. The dome and skylight had been smashed, and erupting from it were bits of that wooden staircase which wanted to float as the ship sank down. So the staircase was gutting itself out, and it dragged the TARDIS with it!

Her breath was robbed from her by the biting cold water, and each attempt to breathe in was a labour in itself. But the Doctor seemed to be fine as he quickly began to swim towards the bobbing Police Box as quickly as he could before Raven's appendages turned blue and fell off. As they swam away from the ship Raven for some reason suddenly became aware that the Doctor was the only thing keeping her afloat. If... if somehow the Doctor were to vanish, or if he sank she'd be stuck in the middle of the ocean, hundreds of miles from land and right beneath her was nothing but two miles of cold, dark water.

Two miles of cold, dark water!

 _I don't like the water! I don't like the water! I don't like the water! I don't like the water!_ Raven's mind kept saying as her thalassophobia kicked in.

Raven could've used her powers again. But she didn't want to risk doing something evil with them as she'd done before. But looking back at the dying ship, and at the people who were going to die with it...

Her mind suddenly flashed to the very moment she'd cause the end of everything. Would the planet scream just like this ship was screaming?!

No! Keep her powers down. Keep the power down!

 _Azarath, Metri..._ SCREAMS, JUST SCREAMS! OH GOD, THE SCREAMING!

The overwhelming frustration... it... more people were dying. Either trapped inside the ship, or being dragged under the water by loose cables or flooding vents, or just dying already from the cold. People were falling over and sliding down as the steep deck became too much of a chore to climb. Some slid and fell right back into the advancing waters of death! The stern was rising high up in the water, you could actually see the ships three bronze propellers getting higher and higher. The bow was sinking like a duck, dragging the rest of the ship deeper into the water, making the ship sink faster!

Killing everyone faster!

Why wouldn't the world just stop? Why wouldn't the world just shut up?! Raven was so frustrated she felt her powers lash out.

The lights on the ship had winked out. Wait, had they winked out? Or was the ship shrouded in darkness? Raven felt herself go colder than the water around her. Was it her imagination, or was the ship twisting... and bending?

Oh no! She'd done it again!

Raven was too stunned as she watched the mighty ship crack open like an egg. The stern of the mighty ship fell backwards, clearly having torn away from the rest of the ship!

She'd really done it now, Raven had altered history! The book 'A Night to Remember' By Walter Lord, a book about this historical event had never mentioned this happening to the ship!

What was left of the ship was silhouetted against the stars as its stern fell back into the water. As the stern impacted the water Raven again felt dozens of life signs suddenly wink out of existence as the massive hulk crushed whoever was beneath it. Yet more lives winked out as the last two funnels of the ship toppled over from the violent breakup and crushed people still on deck as the funnels rolled over the side of the deck and sank. All of those deaths were now on Raven's conscience.

Raven was too shaken to notice the Doctor had fumbled the TARDIS key into the lock and pushed the doors open. Raven suddenly felt herself being hauled into the upturned Police Box doors. She gripped onto the edge of the box now transfixed.

Perhaps the stern would float. Perhaps she'd saved lives, if the stern had broken away and it was still water tight then maybe the rest of the ship would float as the forward section sank. But whatever hope she felt died, it looked like history would not be altered so easily as the ships stern listed over to its port side and began flooding. The stern quickly rose back up and bobbed at an awkward angle until it was almost perpendicular to the sea.

 _Maybe it will float, maybe those people are now safe!_

But no, only seconds past before the ship slid down into the water, in total blackness and vanished without a sound, without even a ripple. That was what was spooky to Raven. The ship, that little world in the middle of this dark ocean had just gone. It had died, not with a bang but with a whimper, and she felt partially responsible for it.

The ship was gone. But the screaming continued. She couldn't help them. She can't save any of them! She had to leave them, but she refused to move! She probably did the worst thing she could, she waited and listened as the screaming began to die down. Soon Raven, the demon daughter of Trigon, the great destroyer, was again surrounded by death.

Raven felt the Doctor tug her down into the TARDIS interior. The doors swung shut and the wheezing groaning started up as the Police Box vanished, the mighty engines drowned out by the cries of fifteen hundred people screaming for help.

* * *

In the TARDIS Raven leant up against one of the consoles girders and tried to go through the calming techniques she'd learnt on Azarath, and even a few she'd learnt from the Doctor.

None were working.

It didn't help she was soaking wet, utterly freezing and shivering from all kinds of chills she had running up her spine. The thermal blanket the Doctor had draped over her shoulders wasn't making her feel any warmer.

She'd been given a taste of what it would feel like if the world ended around her.

"It wasn't your fault." The Doctor said. "It's part of history. She was always meant to break up."

Raven didn't understand. She'd read the book 'A Night to Remember' about the sinking. But it never mentioned the ship broke in two.

"Trust me, it was supposed to." The Doctor said to reassure her. "People viewed it, but the event was covered up in the inquiry afterwards to save the White Star Lines reputation, and it became the official story. The book you read was published in 1955 and was based off of that inquiry." The Doctor said, correctly guessing why she assumed she'd altered history. He had an irritating habit of doing that, correctly guessing. "It wasn't until Robert Ballard discovered the wreck on September 1st, 1985 that the truth was realised. He'll shock the world with the discovery."

"But I interfered!" Raven said back.

"It was dark, and the lights failed. Regardless, whether you did it or not all that happened was that you just became a part of history. That's all." The Doctor again tried to reassure her. "Your outburst at Tunguska, the tear at Tsetserleg. All parts of history, I assure you."

Raven turned and walked away out of the TARDIS control room. How could she make him understand that it was just a matter of time until her stupid powers did something that wasn't a part of established history? Maybe the same thing at Tunguska would happen in a populated city, killing millions. Or maybe the Tsetserleg thing could happen again, re-arranging the landscape, again killing millions in the process. Now, the sinking of the... of the...

Okay, she never started the ship sinking, but her powers didn't help anyone.

And they couldn't help anyone even if she were to use them. The sinking was part of history, she understood that, but it didn't make it easy to stand and watch as over a thousand people met their end.

Raven had to accept she was never going to be normal, she was never going to be rid of these powers. It's like the more she tried to suppress them, the more they demanded to be released, and Raven had no choice but to do so.

She just wanted to...

SLURP!

* * *

Raven's dark eyes refocused on Beast Boy again as he took a slurp from a slushy cup and straw he'd reached the end of, and he was drawing up the dregs.

There was no point in continuing the tale, it was over, and because of Beast Boys interruption Raven had stalled in the storytelling process. So she ended the tale there.

"Dude, seriously?!" Beast Boy said astonished. "You sank the Titanic!"

"No!" Raven sharply dismissed, then said sheepishly, "I just kinda... broke it... a little."

"A little?! No way am I going to look at the movie the same way again." Beast Boy said.

"How wonderful for you." Raven bit.

"I thought they were all interesting tales." Star Fire added sweetly, "I confess, I know not of these Tunguska, nor Tsetserleg places, nor of the vessel Titanic."

"Yeah, I was just leaving my mark on history." Raven said half with sarcasm and half with sadness. There were other things she'd caused in her attempt to keep her powers suppressed, but those three were the big ones that got written into the history books.

She folded up the small, paper add for Vinolia Otto Toilet Soap which featured the Titanic as part of the advertisement and put it back in the trunk. That's when she saw something in the trunk, and the memory it brought back made her freeze.

Sharply Raven closed the box and stood up and casually stretched to hide her sudden discomfort.

"That's it?" Beast Boy asked indignantly.

"You've had three tales out of me." Raven bit at him. "What? Do you want me, to read the three bears too?"

"Hey!" Beast Boy flared up, "don't take it out on me, just because you busted up the Titanic!"

Okay, maybe Raven had over-reacted a little. But she wasn't going to let this imp make her back down.

"Is this the part where I'm supposed to feel shame?" She asked, her eyes burrowing into his.

"Friends, friends!" Star Fire said, physically coming between them and pushing them away from each other. "It is late, there is always another night for more stories."

Raven turned away from the pair of them. Beast Boy wanted to fume more but Star Fire knew the subtle signs that Raven wanted to be left alone and ushered him out of her room.

When the door was closed Raven returned to her trunk and opened it up again. She reached in and removed the item that had stirred up her emotions so much. A book, a book with a strange scent of pencil to it.

Opening the book revealed drawings, dozens of drawings. One loose, slightly burnt page showed a sleepy old, little English village park. Raven recognised the girl sitting on the bench reading her books. The other was a drawing of Raven herself. It was a portrait but was also half interpretative as well. A third was a preliminary sketch. It showed a shadowy girl generating a shield which kept everyone around her away from her. The fourth showed...

These pages...

The next venture in the TARDIS was a deeply personal one, and not one she wanted to tell Beast Boy. But while staying in that sleeping English Villiage Raven... Her thoughts paused. Her view of her powers had shifted. She'd stopped seeing them as evil and saw them as a tool, like a pen or a brush which she could use to really express herself.

She felt her eyes become a little wet at what she'd gained and what she'd lost.

No way was she telling Beast Boy this one. So Raven laid on her bed and examined the drawings as her mind was transported back to her little trip to the English countryside.

To a village called Devils' End.

But weirdly this journey started in the TARDIS swimming pool.

* * *

 ***Start the Theme Music***

* * *

 **Authors notes:** Originally, there was going to be an adventure which showed Raven trying to adjust to life without her powers. But I felt it was just so long, drawn-out, and nothing really that interesting was going to happen. So I scrapped the stories and instead jumped ahead to this one.

I did start writing a story with them on the Titanic. But I deemed it not interesting enough and scrapped the whole idea except for the intended ending, which is now the official start of this one.

The book 'A Night to Remember, by Walter Lord really doesn't mention Titanic breaking into two sections. In fact, before the wreck was found the 'official' story was that Titanic sank whole. Hence, why Titanic splitting is surprising to Raven, she only knows of the ship from books and it doesn't mention such a distinctive event.

Tunguska was a region in Russia where a massive blast flattened the surrounding landscape. The actual cause has been suggested as a meteorite burning up in the high atmosphere and exploding. But now, we all know who caused it. ;)

The tear at Tsetserleg, was a region in Mongolia where a massive Earthquake turned up the land, defacing the landscape, lakes vanished and a massive crack in the Earth formed and is still there to this day. Again, we now know the root cause of this was actually a powerful, teenage girl with anxiety issues. ;)

Cheers, and enjoy the new story.

-TimeLordParadox


	64. Chapter 63, Sensory Deprivation

**Authors notes: (16/April/2020)** In this chapter I've added something new, more details in the authors notes below.

* * *

 **Chapter 63**

 **Sensory Deprivation.**

Raven kicked off and flapped her arms. She held her breath and tried to float. Indeed she did float, but the moment she released her breath she began to sink again!

This was so frustrating!

Her feet touched the shallow floor of the TARDIS swimming pool and she pressed her back to the wall of the pool.

How could this be so difficult? Fish do this all the time! Seals do this all the time! How could swimming be so difficult?!

Since Raven had banned herself from using her powers she'd tried to find other outlets for her mind. First, she'd found a recorder in the TARDIS wardrobe, but after a few attempts to learn the frustratingly noisy instrument she'd lost her cool and it snapped into two. She'd like to pretend it happened by accident, but she did it deliberately. The next thing she tried was creative writing. Since her counterpart in the Land of Fiction was so good at writing she thought perhaps she should take up that hobby herself. She'd began by trying to write her adventures with the Doctor as if they were fictions, and she did find she enjoyed it. It was almost therapeutic, like it was a diary. But when it came to creating her own fiction, her own characters. That was more difficult. In the end, she just kept writing a character who was basically herself or just a parody of the Doctor. Soon she decided this whole hobby was stupid and promptly dropped it.

One thing she kept on top of was her meditations. They were far too important to skimp on. Without meditating she could not control her emotions, and if she can't control her emotions then she couldn't control her powers.

The one thing she decided to fix was her inability to swim, and her fear of deep water. Which is why Raven was in the TARDIS swimming pool and, rather humiliatingly, had a pair of inflatable water wings around her arms to stop her sinking. She just hoped to god the Doctor didn't come in and see her like this.

With the water wings, she'd gotten used to the movement of swimming and floating in the deep water where her feet could not touch the floor. She was calmer and she thought more confident. That was until she removed the water wings and tried to float by herself. Again, she waved her arms, kicked her legs out, but she felt so clumsy and weak. Without the water wings she kept going down quicker than the Titanic.

She put that out of her mind, put the water wings back on and just swam around again. Raven eventually got to the other edge of the pool and when she went to put her foot to the floor she was momentarily panicked that her feet couldn't touch the floor. She spread her arms out and tried to remain calm. She was safe with these things on her arms. Raven laid on her back and kicked out to send her back towards the other end of the pool.

It didn't take long for Raven to tire of this futile activity. She wasn't used to this motion nor the amount of physical energy needed to push her along. Usually, if she wanted to propel herself along she'd do it the same way she would when she flew. She'd use her powers.

Raven had only done two lengths when she decided she'd had enough practice and got out of the pool. She ran her fingers through her hair and caught her reflection in the mirrored wall. She was in a black, one-piece bikini she'd found in the TARDIS wardrobe and it fitted her perfectly.

The girl staring back at Raven was subtly different. She'd changed. Though weeks of swimming practice hadn't improved her technique the effort clearly hadn't been wasted because her arms and legs now had more of a shape to them. Before they were quite skinny, they were embarrassing. Now she had more pronounced muscles in her legs and forearms. Her stomach also felt more toned up, she realised as she placed her hand on it. The effect was it made her body look curvier.

But then she looked at her face. At her pale skin, her cold eyes and frowning face of a heartless monster and she realised how ugly she looked. She could alter her appearance. Maybe dye her hair, put makeup on or something. Sometimes she wished she was capable of regeneration just so she could alter how she looked. But she knew she'd still feel ugly on the inside.

Sighing, Raven moved to a deck chair at the edge of the pool, laid down and rested her aching muscles, dropping the water wings to the floor.

Raven wasn't sure she could get used to pretending to be a mortal. Her powers were just so convenient and easy to use. They were like extra limbs to her. Try refusing to use one of your arms and you'd quickly see how your muscle memory would always be tempted to use the arm.

Curiously, Raven reached up and plucked from the shelf behind her a book. The swimming pool, as it turned out, was next to a library, one far larger than the one in the console room and she didn't even know it existed until recently. In fact, the TARDIS swimming pool was partially in the library.

Raven had thought the Doctor was joking when he'd said there was a swimming pool in the library, and she was surprised to find books in this moisture filled room. But like everything in the TARDIS there was a twisted logic to it.

The book Raven had in her hand felt plasticky, organic-like. They were books from civilisations which spawned and still lived in the sea. As it was, these books needed to be constantly hydrated or else they'd dry out and fall apart. Hence, why there was a swimming pool in the library. It was mad but had a ring of logic to it.

Unfortunately, the book Raven had chosen wasn't very engrossing. It was about agriculture. She let the book slip from her fingers and slam into the damp tiles with a wet squelching noise.

Raven didn't know how long she sat there. Just staring into space as her numb brain just hovered in standby mode. She didn't know what was wrong with her. Her mind wanted her to practice her powers, to try out new spells and incantations, but her brain also told her not to encourage her powers in the hopes she'll somehow forget how to use them.

Raven looked around the room as her brain just went in circles.

 _Where did that come from?_ Her mind questioned and suddenly her attention was grabbed by something.

There was an alcove in the corner she'd not seen before. It was in total shadow and looked ominous and welcoming. Warily, Raven decided to investigate.

As she passed the threshold of the darkness the blackness lifted like a veil while at the same time the pool behind her vanished into darkness.

Raven was now in a large, low lit chamber made of ivory. The low lighting gave the room a very moon, blue hue to it. In the middle was a shallow pool and around that were six, tall, white pillars which extended upwards, holding up a large ring of silver through which shone a light. A light which had the pale blue of the moon to it.

The light and atmosphere were weirdly relaxing. For some reason, Raven felt drawn to this pool and she began to step into it, it was only twelve inches deep. When she did the room around her vanished and all that was left was her, the pool and the light around her.

Not liking this, Raven stepped out and the room returned to normal. That was weird. When she entered the pool it was like the world outside those pillars ceased to exist for her. Quizzically and cautiously, Raven returned to the shallow pool and allowed the darkness to rob her of her view of the outside of it. She looked around. Just blackness stretching out into infinity. Not a single sound could be heard. It was so quiet Raven could hear the blood rushing through her ears.

As her legs moved she heard the sound of sloshing water around her, but it wasn't echoing off anything. The sound just vanished, making it sound awkward, creepy. Unnatural.

Raven didn't know what this place was, but she was tempted to just lay down in the pool and relax. Cautiously, she did just that, and the darkness took more of her surroundings away. All that was left was the pale, blue disk above her. There was nothing else she could see or sense. No sound, no sight, no smell, her sense of touch even felt numbed after a few minutes just floating in the water.

Oddly, she floated better in this pool than she did in the swimming pool, her feet were off the floor and she wasn't panicking. In this pool she felt safe, safe to relax, safe to meditate, safe to let go.

The girl felt the water lap at her body. Raven didn't know why, but this place felt soothing. So much so she found her eyes began to droop it was so relaxing and her mind began to clear. This was so much like meditation, but she'd never experienced it like this before. There was no sound to hear, nothing really to feel, little to see, even her sense of taste and smell seemed dulled. All distractions were gone.

Her mind was going around and around in circles thinking about how calming and relaxing this place was, until she even stopped thinking about that and her mind became blank.

She didn't know how long her mind lay blank, she just knew at some point her mind began to wander.

The Doctor didn't understand why she needed to kill her powers, he didn't understand her. Raven wanted someone to understand her. She wanted company, she wanted people, for once she actually wanted to have friends. Not just the Doctor, he was something different to her. Raven wanted real friends, like the one's Rachel Roth had in the Land of Fiction. She wanted those friends back. She wanted a friend.

When Raven opened her eyes the light was different!

There were now dancing lights in front of her face. Her vision seemed to blur and swirl around her. It began to resolve itself, when it did Raven was somewhere very familiar.

* * *

The little girl sat in solitary and stared into the pond, her pale face reflected back at her. I'm different. She thought to herself, she looked up at the other monks of Azarath. All dressed int their robes of black, white or blue. Some of the children of Azarath played games with their psychokinetic abilities.

Some played hide and seek, or a version of it where the point was for one to sense out where everyone was hiding while the others try to hide physically, but also shield their presence from them mentally.

Another game involved flinging a ball around using only their powers. Catching it with their soul selves and batting it back at the other person. It was similar to badminton, only without the rackets or the nets. Just your psychic powers.

Some sat under trees in the sunshine and just studied their books, or meditated.

Raven however was not content to just sit down and read. She wanted to play, she wanted to make friends. Her mother encouraged her to make friends, but whenever she showed up in public Raven felt like her reception was cold. People didn't want to be around her and Raven didn't understand why.

So she spent her days just playing by herself, using her powers to lift up stones and rocks to fling around the place, or funnel water up in a spout, or create a portal under the pond where the water would drain out into another portal she'd create at the top. She'd then sit and watch the water drain back into the pond, if that made sense. She'd also manipulate and play with the stream. Passing her hands through it, then sticking her entire face in it and getting wet. It was cold, yet refreshing. Raven did so like to get wet. Water was fun.

She edged her way a little closer to the steep edge of a rock formation hanging over the pool, and tried to make the deeper pool form into funny patterns. As her hands danced around shapes were made in the pool. She loved it

Looking up, she saw someone sitting by the pool in meditation. A boy, he was a young teen, maybe thirteen, and he looked so cold, calm and serious. Raven liked him, he looked kind of cute for his younger years. She, herself was only ten years old.

Ducking down behind a boulder Raven smirked, she was in a mischievous mood and she wanted someone to play with. She conjured some power and waved her fingers, she wasn't going to hurt the boy, she liked him too much, but she wanted to get his attention without actually showing her face.

"Azarath, Metrion Zinthos." She whispered to herself, and she unleashed her powers on the water. It erupted out and sprayed the male monk in the face. Rudely awakened from his meditations he leapt up and scanned for the perpetrator of this trick. But Raven had ducked down, giggling like the little girl she was.

She peaked around the side and watched as the boy sat back down again and tried to meditate. Raven struck, this time dumping a load of water onto the boys head. He got up again, angry but level headed. He had such a mastery of his emotions. With her help he could be the best at it.

Again, once he'd settled down Raven reached out. The boys eyes snapped open and looked directly in Ravens direction. The next thing she knew the boulder in front of her exploded into shards of rock, Raven herself was caught in the blast and she was forced over the side and into the water.

The deep, deep water; I can't swim!

She struggled, she strained, but it was like cold fate was swamping over her and dragging her down. She felt her fingers brush the surface of the water, but she wasn't able to rise back up. She couldn't focus, she couldn't think, all she could do was panic. She hated water, she hated water!

"HELP!" She tried to scream out into the water. A mistake, as her exhaled words were replaced by water.

Something snaked around her stomach, an arm, and slowly she was being forced to the surface by legs much more powerful than hers.

Raven and her saviour broke the surface of the water and gently they swam together to the edge of the pool where the saviour pulled her up. She rolled onto the side and coughed up the water which had already gone down her gullet. The saviour slapped her on the back, trying to get the rest of it out.

"Are you okay?" Said the voice of a boy. Raven looked up and she saw herself staring into the green eyes of the cute boy she'd been annoying. She felt like her brain and heart had all frozen. He was such a good looking boy closer up.

"Umm… Uhuh." Raven nodded. She pushed the long strands of damp hair off her face. Her tongue rolled uncomfortably in her mouth.

"Sorry, I didn't know I'd do that." The boy said, his hair such a lovely brown under his hood. "My name is Gallrick, by the way."

Raven's tongue scrapped the back of her front teeth with nervousness. "Ra… Raven."

"Cool. Was that you splashing me?" Raven felt her cheeks go a little red with embarrassment.

"Yes. I'm… I'm sorry." She looked away sheepishly.

The pair now sat in awkward silence. Was the boy shy of her too?

"Well, if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to my meditations." He looked down at Raven. "Would you like to join me?"

Inside her spirit was doing backflips. "Really?" She asked, before toning it down to sound more level headed. "I mean, I'd love to." The pair, now soaking wet sat in the warm evening sun, hoods over their heads as they recited the meditation mantra.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos, Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos, Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos." Or that's what Raven chanted. Gallrick was chanting something else, a string of verbal tones instead of words. Weird, yet it was oddly interesting at the same time. He clearly wasn't from Azarath, and Raven found him fascinating for that. It meant he didn't have the tainted view of her that the others had.

Though her mouth spoke the meditation mantra, deep inside she had one thought.

 _Do I have a friend now?_

* * *

Raven gently drifted back to consciousness her eyes struggling to hold back the hurt she was now remembering. Why was she even remembering that? She didn't want to remember that, she wanted to forget it.

Gallrick. That little! But no, forget it. He was in the past. He didn't matter.

Oranges _and Lemons,_

 _say the bells of Saint Clemons..._

* * *

She didn't know how long she stayed in that pool. A few minutes? Hours, maybe? But when she emerged she felt strangely calm and at peace with herself.

As she passed through the shifting darkness and back into the swimming pool she was almost startled to see the Doctor looking through the bookshelves in his shirt sleeves.

Raven glanced down at the water wings, which were next to the deck chair. A little redness came to her cheeks. Her swimming lessons were a secret she kept from the Doctor. She just felt so silly being so powerful and yet it was deep water that defeated her.

"Morning, Rae-Rae." He called to her.

"What are you doing here?" She demanded.

"It's my library." The Doctor countered. That was true, but it seemed a coincidence they would be in the same place. "Having fun in the TARDIS zero room?"

"Zero room?"

"I've used one once before. It's a place where a Time Lord can retreat to after regenerating." The Time Lord said, "It cuts out a lot of interference from the universe allowing the mind to properly heal."

That made sense. That's why it was so peaceful in there. "Do..." she hesitated, "Am I supposed to see visions in there?"

"It can present a reflection of what's in your mind. Struggles and concerns, concepts and battles happening under the surface." The Doctor paused as he ran his fingers along the spines of the books. "Pay it no mind. You'll be driven insane trying to interpret it all."

"That should be written at the start of the TARDIS manual." Raven joked flatly.

"Now let's see." The Doctor said. He usually said that to mean 'I'm going to ignore that comment and pretend you never said it, because you're right.'

He continued musing as his fingers rolled across the spines of the books looking for something. Mid-stride he scooped up a towel and threw it at Raven. She caught it and began drying her hair down before wrapping herself in it like it was her cloak.

The Doctor moved to an area where the pool part of the library ended and the main library started. This library was massive, the size of the TARDIS control room, and it was filled to the high rafters with stacks and stacks of books. Ornate desks with reading lamps dotted the floor, just like in a library. At the far side there was a massive, tall gothic-style window frame which reached to the ceiling. Beyond which were the swirling colours of the Time Vortex.

Suddenly, the Doctor stopped at one of the ornate desks. On the desk was a book which looked like it had sat there for centuries by the thick layers of dust upon it.

The Doctor blew off the dust and held it up.

"Oh…." His voice sounded grave. "This is overdue, and by a good few centuries!"

Raven's brow furrowed. "How can a book be overdue in a Time Machine?" She asked.

But the Doctor didn't answer. Instead, he turned to her and asked her one simple question.

"Ever been to Devils End, England?" The Doctor asked. Of course she hadn't!

"Sure, it's my favourite holiday destination." Raven rolled her eyes.

"Marvelous!" He clapped his hands together. "We could both do with a holiday."

"I'm not going anywhere!" Raven said hurriedly.

The Doctor stopped and looked at her, he cocked his head to one side. "Raven, your powers are only a curse if you let them be a curse." He said.

"I don't care, I'm not going." Raven said sternly.

"Well, I am. It'll give me a chance to try out my new car." He said, and without another word the Doctor walked off out of the library. He meant that stupid bubble-like car in the garage. He'd finally finished it.

"And I hope you enjoy your drive in that tin box." Raven said back to him. Having ridden in similar cars before, either in Kasey's mindscape or in the Land of Fiction from Raven's perspective that tin car was a death trap waiting to happen.

 _The Doctor's going to be driving it._ She reminded herself. _At high speed, probably around twisting roads. He could hurt himself. He could crash! Plus, knowing the Doctor he's probably about to step into some big danger of some sort._

Raven closed her eyes and groaned deeply in resentment as her mind made itself up.

"Doctor, hold your horses." She groaned just loud enough for her voice to carry. "You'll need someone to bail you out of trouble."

"Trouble? Me? How do I get into trouble?" The Doctor asked back.

"That's a question I ask myself every day." Raven fired back as she disappeared into the TARDIS wardrobe to get changed.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes: (16/April/2020** **)** The new thing I've added is the vision/memory Raven has of her time at the temple as a younger version of herself. This is going to tie into something which happens later in this arc. Also, I'm going to update other chapters in this arc to have similar memories. This is all in an effort to fix an arc I was never really happy with to start with. Feel free to read on, as the ending will not change, but part of the journey will. I haven't actually finished writing all the extra bits, you see.

What Raven went through was similar to a sensory deprivation tank.

I never intended to write her vision as something so vague. I wrote it as an outline I wanted to expand upon. But upon reading it the lack of detail I think adds to the vagueness of the vision that I'm going for.

Of course, Raven will have to learn how to swim sometime before the start of the TV show because I'm sure I saw her floating in deep water at some point in the TV show.


	65. Chapter 64, Why can't I stop looking?

**Chapter 64**

 **Why can't I stop looking?**

Devils End.

At first, Raven thought the Doctor was trying to make fun of her with the name or make her angry. But he didn't press the joke if there was one. When road signs came up which genuinely said 'Devils End' Raven realised it wasn't a joke.

Why was the Doctor even worried about returning a book? They have a Time Machine. They could return the book five years from now, relatively speaking, and still make it on time.

For reasons, Raven was sure the Doctor did do something to irritate her. The TARDIS had landed in the wrong place, several miles out of the way in the middle of the English countryside. Raven hated the countryside. The air may have been fresh but it smelt funny. The place was also full of filthy animals she'd imagined. Pigs, chickens, squirrels and other rodents. She hated them all. The only animals she did like were ones that were cooked and on a plate in front of her with a knife and fork.

The Doctor refused to try to take the TARDIS closer to the village, so the choices were either walk or drive to the town.

Raven voted for walking because she absolutely hated the Doctors car.

He'd finished fixing his purple beetle car and was all too excited to drive it. But the thing was just as noisy and uncomfortable as Raven remembered both from Kasey's car and her fictional life as Rachel Roth.

Raven was amazed as she saw the purple car pass through the TARDIS outer doors despite the car being far too wide.

"You know, it's been a long time since I drove a proper car." The Doctor said as Raven climbed into the passenger seat. "I used to drive a Victorian Roadster, though it was technically owned by UNIT. Hence, why I don't have it."

"My heart bleeds." Raven said sinking into the passenger seat. The TARDIS doors closed and she imagined they locked themselves.

As they moved off Raven put the seat as far back as it'd go and she placed her feet on top of the thin, padded dashboard.

The Doctor gently slapped her feet sharply with the back of his hand, and taking the hint she let her legs drop into the footwell.

She found the cars engine noise volume bearable, that was until they got up to a certain speed, then it was just far too loud for her to take.

Raven did the only thing she could think of to drown out the noise, apart from stuffing her socks in her ears. She turned the radio on and turned the dial until she found some music she liked. Eventually, blaring from the cars speakers came.

 _"You wanna live like common people._

 _You wanna see whatever common people see._

 _You wanna sleep with common people._

 _You wanna sleep with common people like me._

 _But she didn't understand. She just smiled and held my hand."_

The DJ announced at the end of the song that it was called 'Common People' by 'Pulp'. The lyrics sounded 'mushy', but Raven was taken away by the tune more than with the lyrics. She only wished she could listen to some Billie Eilish on this trip. Billie Eilish was an artist Raven had found while browsing the music section of the TARDIS library. Her music was very dull and depressing, which fitted Ravens' personality. But sadly they'd landed just too early in Earth's history. The artist would be a baby today, if she was even born at all yet.

 _I wanna live like common people._ _I wanna see what common people see._ _Wanna sleep with common people._ Raven began thinking in her head.

With the noise of the engine being masked by modern rock music Raven relaxed and crossed her arms over her chest. Having control of the radio was the one request she had for climbing into this tin shell of bolts. There was no way she wanted to listen to the Doctor's smooth jazz collection all day. She'd had enough of it from his turntable gramophone.

Which kept 'breaking mysteriously' she must add.

The volume of the music clearly irritated the Doctor, eventually he turned it down a little. It still drowned out the engine, but now she'd have to listen to the Doctor talk if he desired too. Of course, he eventually did open his trap.

"You know, I don't remember where I got this car." The Doctor mused. "It was such a long time ago."

The Doctor had no money so Raven had an idea how he got it. "You mean you stole it." She stated.

"No!" The Doctor said indignantly. "I never steal."

"You mean like the TARDIS?" Raven asked as she played this game of verbal chess with him.

"Borrowed." The Doctor corrected firmly, "I 'borrowed' the TARDIS."

"In the same way you 'borrowed' this car?" Raven smirked. She shifted her leg a little. Hot air was blowing in from a vent in the floor and it was starting to burn her leg. The heaters in this thing had two settings. Either off, or Sahara in the summer burning your legs, there was no in-between. Raven pulled on the levers near the handbrake she knew would close off the heat.

"You'll love Devils End." The Doctor said.

"Is it like the Eye of Orion?" Raven asked.

"Better, it's quiet, cosy, and it has people!" The Doctor added.

"So it's only spoilt by the infestation." She sighed.

"That's a rather misanthropic way of looking at your species." The Doctor commented.

"But not without reason. Face it Doctor, people are stupid." Raven said with her eyes closed.

"Yes, well, they are a social species. They clump together in their little communities and so they become protective and focus so much within their own ranks that an outsiders perspective is seen as a disruptive danger." The Doctor sounded like a scientist analysing an ant colony.

"As I said, stupid." Raven fell silent, but after a while she had to ask the question. "Why do you admire them so much?"

"Well, some of my best friends are humans. Generally, when humans gather into larger groups other life forms, including the less numerous humans sometimes suffer. But humanity is also capable of great good and kindness." The Doctor said, "In the future Humans are regarded as one of the most versatile species. They are one of the most compassionate, but also the most judgmental species. They are the most peaceful, and yet warlike race in the galaxy. They are the most trustworthy, and yet untrustworthy species. They can be anything; and despite whatever label the universe gives them they always surprise by not beholding to any stereotype."

"Your just blind, Doctor." Raven sighed. "Optimistically blind."

"As always." He said. "Take the people of Devils End. They tried to burn me at the stake because someone they trusted told them I was a witch."

"I bet that was exciting." Raven said, fainting interest.

"But once we'd sorted the problem out they showed they knew how to throw a good May Day celebration."

"Is it May Day today, by any chance?" She'd bet twenty pounds it was.

"No, it's June." He said, "We might be in time for May Week, but we're a little off the beaten track for it."

"Thank God." Raven sank further into her seat. The last thing she wanted to get involved with was anything to do with 'people.'

The Doctor was marvelling at how beautiful the English countryside was. Raven couldn't care less. They were surrounded by green. Travel down another road and there's more green, but in a different arrangement, and further on down the road yet more green. What was so majestic about a bunch of hills, trees and bushes?

"How long are we staying here?" Raven asked after a long sigh. She wanted to go back to the TARDIS as soon as possible.

"Not long." The Doctor said, "Say, three days."

"Okay, that's fine. Three days is..." She was saying sleepily. But then the meaning rang in her head. "THREE DAYS?!" Raven perked up, her fingers clenching. "Three days in the sticks?!"

"Sticks?" The Doctor asked, "I'm surprised you even know that word."

"I read books and I have a dictionary. Don't change the subject!" Raven fumed, "You never said we're staying here for three days! What could you want to do here that could take three days?! I thought you were returning a book!"

"It's a personal matter, a loose end I need to tie up." The Doctor said, but he didn't elaborate.

Raven sat back down in the chair of the car, she was angry! She was about to spend three days away from her home and she didn't bring any books! "This place better have a good book shop" She said moodily, if not, then her powers might take out her frustrations on this stupid car of his.

 _Let's see him restore it after I flatten it!_ She thought.

* * *

Raven had collapsed onto the bed of the Bed and Breakfast pub they were both staying at. The Doctor apparently knew the bartender from a previous incarnation because though the man reacted to the name 'Doctor' he was confused by his physical appearance. But again, the Doctor worked his verbal magic; and flashing some correct currency for the time helped.

The room was small and was barely decorated. It had just the essentials, two beds, dressers, a mirror, a bathroom.

She held up a book to her eyes and just read while the Doctor unpacked from a suitcase he'd had on the back seat of the car. But his case did not contain clothes, though it did contain a jumble of devices. From the case he plucked out one thing in particular. Something he placed into a glass by the sink. A toothbrush.

"Are you going to spend our holiday in here reading?" The Doctor asked.

"I'd be able to do it peacefully if you'd go away." Raven bit a little. She was tired of all these distractions.

"Don't you want to go out there and meet people?" The Doctor asked, waving his hand to the sunshine outside. "Wouldn't you like to interact with kids your own age?"

"I'd rather meet the Cybermen again." Raven said without looking up from her book.

"There's a lovely tea room in the village." The Doctor said. Raven sighed. "There's also a bookshop." Raven's eyes rolled over the top of her book. That had her attention. She'd only brought one book and she'd absorb this in a few hours.

From his pockets, the Doctor produced a velvet bag. He tipped the contents onto the table. Several coins, wads of paper and what looked like an electrical scarab beetle with wriggling legs fell out. The Doctor plucked out certain coins, including the electric insect and presented Raven with the money that was left.

"Thirty-six pounds and nineteen pence." He'd said. "That should be enough for a book or six."

"Thanks." Raven said with disinterest, her attention now back on her book.

"I'm just going out for a while. I might be some time, but don't worry." The Doctor reassured her. "And please, try not to get into any trouble." He said like she was the one who got into trouble all the time.

"Yeah, whatever you say, 'Dad'" she said in a mocking tone. Calling him that removed some tension deep within her.

With that, the Doctor left the room and Raven was on her own. She looked out the window at the quaint English village. She could hear the world outside, she could sense the world outside. The chirping birds, the sounds of traffic, the laughing and playing children.

The world outside was happening and Raven was sitting here on her own, alone.

Perfect!

* * *

Finally finishing the book Raven now pondered on what to do? She wanted to return to the TARDIS, but it would take hours to return on foot. She could get a taxi? Perhaps there was a bus. She had money after all. Was thirty pounds enough to get her home? But she didn't know exactly where the TARDIS landed. It was in a field in the middle of nowhere.

Raven was beginning to understand why Bram Stoker had a dislike of the countryside. You could easily get lost.

Looking back at the book, maybe she should read it again. It was a book called Pinocchio. The version she was reading was actually a re-telling and had different themes from it's original. In the original by Carlo Collodi, Pinocchio was an awful little marionette, always causing mischief around everyone, even angering his creator Geppetto. The book had a happy ending, but clearly the author originally intended it to be a tragedy.

The one she was reading was printed in the 21st century and was a story about an innocent Marionette who wanted to be a real boy, he was still mischievous, but the theme of the book was more framing Pinocchio as a odd ball whom everyone hated, not only because he was a wooden boy, but because his emotional development was lacking too, making him stand out.

Oddly, Raven found herself identifying with this version of the funny little puppet. Pinocchio just wanted to be accepted by everyone around him. Half the people he met wanted to exploit him because he was a living puppet. The other half wanted to burn him as an unholy abomination. The only person who seemed to love him was Geppetto, his adopted father. 'Adopted' being the word since Pinocchio wasn't his biological father, the kid was born by magic. The book still had tragedy, misery for the little marionette, and it had a bit of a sombre ending because in this version Pinocchio never became a real boy. He just had to learn how to cope in the world he was in.

 _Pinocchio is now my new favourite book._ She decided. But despite loving it, she had no interest in reading it again so soon.

With nothing else to do Raven spent ages just staring at the ceiling or out a window mulling things over.

There was an itch in her mind that just needed to be scratched. But to scratch the itch would require the use of her powers. Obviously she didn't want to attempt that. There was something she could do though to occupy her time and scratch the itch.

She shut the curtains and from her pocket she took out a deck of cards. Not just any cards, these were Tarot cards.

Raven may have exiled herself from her powers, but this practice did not come from her powers, anyone could do it, so she disqualified it.

In the low light, she began to shuffle the deck and called on whatever mystical forces there were.

The Doctor had scoffed and told her this practice was all utter nonsense. Of course, he would say that. "It was invented in Italy in the 1500s, it was called Tarocchi. It was used as a type of self-reflection. The connection to the spiritual came later." The Doctor had said. Raven wasn't so sure, and whether it worked or not it 'felt' like she was using some kind of inner power and so even if it did nothing it still provided the illusion of channelling power. Something she felt she needed.

Without calling on her powers she reached for whatever etherial power there was within her and drew the first card.

The Fool. Her mind instantly went to the Doctor, but she knew the meanings of the cards weren't obvious. The Fool meant the end of something old and the start of something new. It also represented difficult decisions which could be around the corner with some risk to herself.

Next card. The Devil.

 _Of course..._

The Devil, a sign of entrapment and a situation for which there will be no escape.

Next card. The Lovers.

Raven's insides squirmed, why did this card have to be so... mushy?

The Lovers. It had little to do with romance and everything to do with change again. There was going to come a decision, a fork in the road. Her decision could either lead to great things, or utter disaster. It told a story of difficult choices, likely containing pain.

 _Bring it on._ Raven thought. She already had so many knives stuck in her she was almost a porcupine, metaphorically speaking.

Next card.

The World. More cards to do with change, this time major and inexorable. It also symbolised growth and maturity, a sense of inner balance and understanding. It also represented the falling of boundaries and the opening up of a larger world.

With the reading done she took the cards and re-shuffled them. She didn't believe in this mumbo-jumbo for one moment, but it made her feel connected with a version of herself she was determined to kill.

Which sounded weird now that she thought of it.

She drew the cards again. The Fool, the Devil, The Lovers, the World. The same cards as before.

Okay, that was weird.

Raven put them back in the deck and re-shuffled, then drew the cards again.

The Fool, the Devil, the Lovers, the World!

Again, she re-shuffled and this time she took the cards from random places in the deck.

The Fool, the Devil, the Lovers, the World!

Again. The Fool. She peeled back a card and when she saw it was the Devil she shut the deck and drew three cards. The Lovers, the World, and finally, the Moon.

The Moon means to be cautious going ahead. It may also indicate something important is being kept from her. That deception was in the air and she must rely on her intuition to get herself through it.

Raven reshuffled and called out seven cards. The Fool, the Devil, the Lovers, the World, the Moon. Now the hermit, meaning there will come a time of reflection.

The demon girl scratched her head and after a few minutes of pondering she came to a conclusion. Whatever the cards were predicting it could apply to any adventure she'd had while onboard the TARDIS. It meant nothing. But why did she keep drawing the same cards over and over? She reasoned it must be her powers. Somehow they were leaking out and influencing her hands.

Raven put the deck down and climbed onto her bed. She adopted a meditation stance and she calmed her mind, found the plug in her soul her powers were trying to escape through and forcefully slammed the door on it.

* * *

Bored, bored, bored, bored, bored, bored! Her mind flashed as she looked into the ceiling. She'd read her book and even tried reading it again. But because she knew what happened she quickly tired of it. She found some hygiene products in the Doctors case so she washed, cut her nails, brushed her teeth. She even used the toilet.

She'd read yesterdays newspaper, which had been left in the room. Nothing very interesting. Some Prime Minister called Tony Blair was stepping down. A New Book on Stonehenge had been published. Complaints about the weather interfering with a locally held rugby club. None of it interested her.

Bored, bored, bored, bored.

Her eyes rolled to the closed curtains through which rays of sunlight still fell.

Should she go outside?

There would be people outside? But there would also be stuff to do. A girl can only meditate for so long before she got bored of it.

There was an itch irritating her and she didn't know what it was.

The Doctor wasn't back yet. Maybe that was it. But she had felt no danger befall him, so there was no reason to worry. In fact, the calmness of the area just unnerved her. It was scary. It was so peaceful.

 _Okay, I'll go outside!_ She decided.

Opening the door and taking a key she walked down the stairs, attracted some looks from the pub's patrons as she walked out and emerged into the sunshine.

Raven instantly pulled up the hood of her hoodie to shield her eyes and face.

The Doctors car was parked outside and looked at home in front of the village pub. God, the car was an ugly thing.

There weren't that many shops in this small village, but she did find the local bookshop. Nobody bothered her as she browsed the books, though the shopkeeper demanded Raven lower her hood for some reason. Not wanting to cause a scene she obliged.

The selection was limited. It was either tourist books about the local area, or else it was romance novels and kids books about stories she'd already read. Like Robin Hood. Only she'd read books with a lot more depth to them. These books were shallower than water in a shower.

Raven couldn't notice that she'd caught the eye of three people. Three girls caught her eye. They were clustered together in that way that 'normal girls' did. They didn't say hello, of greet her, they just gave her the cold shoulder and went back to whatever it was they were talking about. That suited Raven fine, she didn't really want to make friends with them anyway.

Eventually, Raven picked up a book but upon opening it she found the pages were blank. It was a blank book with the engraving of a wolf on the cover. It was leather bound and really well made. There were several like it on the shelves with different engravings. She wondered if she could find one with a raven, or a crow, or an eagle or something like that on it. But no. There was a lion, a snake, a hedgehog and a badger, but no birds. Scratch that, there was a bird one, a rooster, but no way did she want that. Her attention returned to the wolf book in her hands. Weirdly she felt like she had a connection with this animal. A lone hunter. A creature that was comfortable walking its own path away from the pack. It just felt like this was the right book to get. So Raven decided to pay for the blank book. She also bought a pen too and decided to pass the time practising her writing.

Just so the Doctor didn't moan at her for staying in the room all day Raven pulled up her hoodies hood, sat down in the park, opened her book and pondered on what to write.

What should she write? A diary? A story? Her experiences? Her thoughts?

She tapped her pen on the open book, but no ideas came to her head. Sighing she looked around the place for any inspiration. Some topic. Anything.

There was an old woman walking her dog. There was an old ruin to her right which looked like the remains of an abbey or church. Across the road, two men stumbled out of the pub and began walking down the street.

To her left, there was a boy sitting on another bench with quite a large book on his lap and he was scribbling. He looked up, glanced in her direction and looked back down again and scribbled.

What was he doing?

Again, he looked up at her, back down again and scribbled.

What was he looking at her for?

He did it again! What was wrong with him?!

Again, he glanced up at her, took her in for two seconds then looked back down.

 _That's it!_ Raven felt creeped out. She marched over there with fury in her eyes and she looked down at the boy as he looked up again.

"What? What is it?!" Raven fumed, she didn't know why she was approaching this guy when she could just go back to the pub. But she guessed she was comfortable where she was and didn't feel like moving because of this creep.

"Huh?" The boy looked clueless and taken by surprise to see her standing there. He reached up to his neck and pulled on a black wire which snaked into his pocket and up to his ears, from which two earbuds popped out when he pulled on them. "Sorry, can I help you?"

Raven pulled down on the paper to see what the hell he was doing. Raising an eyebrow she had to twist her head to see it properly. He was...

He was just drawing...

It was a drawing of the town park with the ruin in the distance. Raven saw herself sat there with her book and the boy was just drawing in the details around her like the shop and brickwork.

Raven glanced at him before looking back at the book, then up at the scene, then back at the drawing. The likeness wasn't that bad, it was quite good. Raven noticed the detail he'd gone to on each individual person, including herself. He drew her eyes in a really striking way that looked both dark and mysterious from under her hood. Were her eyes really like that? It was quite flattering.

Now Raven realised the boy wasn't looking at her, but at her surroundings.

"Umm, sorry." She said sheepishly. "I thought you were... never mind."

"Thought I was what?" The boy asked. He was at least her own age. Maybe a year or two older.

"Nothing. I'm just in a bad mood." She sighed.

"Why?" He asked. God, he was full of questions, but Raven decided not to answer them and instead focused on his drawings.

"Why do you do that? Why draw stuff?" Raven asked.

"Because I enjoy it." The boy shrugged. "It's what I do in my spare time."

"Isn't it kind of pointless?" Raven asked, weirdly she felt like she had to clarify what she meant. "I mean, can't you take a photograph?"

"Where is the art in that?" The boy asked.

"Art?" Raven said the word like it had no meaning to her.

"Yeah. Personal touches and interpretation. Sure, I can get everything quickly with a snapshot from a camera, but there would be no... no..." He rolled his free hand as he searched for the word. "Texture, no life to it. Do you see what I mean?"

"You sound like my fathe... I mean the Doc... I mean..." might as well pretend, what would be the harm? "My Dad. He talks nonsense too."

She expected him to get offended, instead, he laughed. "I can see you're a no-nonsense kind of woman."

No one had ever described her as a 'woman' before, she felt grown-up for a second.

"Why have you drawn my eyes that way?" Raven asked.

"Don't you like them?" Raven shrugged, "I draw how I see the world, and I draw it in a way to express it. Your eyes look dark, mysterious, cold and yet there is a hidden warmth to them just underneath. They're kind of pretty, like sparkling jewels. So that is what I drew."

 _Bullshit!_ She instantly dismissed. She swallowed, why was she suddenly nervous?

She didn't know what to say, but she felt like she wanted to say more.

"Umm... thanks. Umm... Do you sell these drawings?" She asked.

"Why, are you interested?" He asked.

Raven swallowed again. "Maybe." She didn't know what to say. What was wrong with her?

"Well, it's not finished yet. But if you want to check out my drawings I'm usually in the coffee shop at eight AM most mornings." He suggested. "I also do portraits for a couple of quid."

"Umm... okay." She found herself saying. Now the boy held out his hand to her.

"My name is Hopkins, Russel Hopkins. Russel Randel Hopkins" He said. She looked down at the hand like an intrusive object. But strangely she found herself taking and shaking it. "I'm, I'm Raven," She struggled to think of a surname, "Raven TARDIS..."

 _Damn it!_

"...Roth."

 _Yeah, run with it._

"Raven TARDIS Roth."

"Raven?" The boy asked, she was struck by his eye contact. They were focused entirely on her eyes and face, and nowhere else. "What an enchanting name."

"Yeah, umm..." Raven felt weird. What was this? Some kind of magic spell he was trying to cast? "I'll see you tomorrow, I guess..." Raven stepped away and nearly fell over a loose stone as she walked backwards to her chair and her blank book.

She tried to focus on the blank pages and force herself to write something. But her mind was only being filled with one subject. Raven held the book up to her eyes to hide them, but she kept peering over the edge of the book at the boy who was scribbling away. When he looked up she hid her eyes behind the book.

When he moved on to some scenery on the other side of the square she risked another glance over her blank book.

What was wrong with her? Her heart rate had increased and she felt weird...

The boy had lovely, dark hair she noticed which was a little spikey on the ends which gave his hair a kind of dishevelled life to it. He'd had an enchanting smile, he didn't have the body of a buff hunk under that grey hoodie he wore, but it clearly wasn't unattractive. Plus, his own eyes had an air of mystery about them, an almost familiar darkness, like there was a hidden depth to him waiting to be discovered, and... What did this all mean?

 _I guess he is kind of cute._

The penny was in the air...

 _So why can't I stop looking at him?_

Then it dropped, and with a horrible clang.

Raven clamped her eyes closed in despair as her cheeks turned red. "Oh, god no! Please no!"

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** Part of the inspiration for this story arc was 'Give Raven a summer romance.' I admit this is unfamiliar writing territory for me, so I'll either be entertaining or it'll be an utter cringe-fest. Let's see what I can come up with.

Some inspiration also came from the Big Finish Audio, Circular Time: Summer. Where the character of Nyssa is also given a summer romance while the Doctor goes off and does his thing.

Before I get accused of making Russel a 'self insert character', I'll just quell it from the start. I happen to have unkempt, slightly curly, brown hair, not dark and spikey. I'm awful at drawing anything other than cartoon characters, and hoodies really aren't my thing at all, I prefer jackets. His appearance is based on a photo of a young Paul McGann I saw (They say girls seek someone who look similar to their dad/father figure.) plus some physical resemblance of both Robin and Beastboy, depending on what your preferred ship is. Though I will admit there are some aspect of me I am going to give him, but that is something relevant to the story.)

Devils End is the main setting for the Doctor Who TV story the Daemons.

I had to do a little bit of research into how tarot cards work, but on how to actually use them I could only find very vague instructions. So I admit some creative licence was taken in how you're supposed to use them.

 **EDITS[06/Jan/2020]** Made the book Raven is reading Pinocchio.


	66. Chapter 65, Ambivalence

**Authors notes: Updated 17/May/2020**

* * *

 **Chapter 65**

 **Ambivalence**

 _This is the last thing I_ _need!_ Raven thought as she laid on her bed, her insides so full of butterflies that refused to go away. What was wrong with her? She'd never thought about boys before, not even while at the temple on Azarath. Even Armstrong way back with the Cybermen, he felt more like a friend than any kind of interest to her. Raven always thought that this affliction of the human heart was just a sickness, a disease that she would not allow herself to catch. But now...

Raven focused on one chip of paint on the ceiling and tried to blank her mind. But the moment she stopped blanking her mind she'd start thinking about that boy, wondering why she felt this way about him.

 _It was that stupid comment he made about my eyes._ She thought. But that wasn't it.

 _Think logically about it._ Her mind insisted. _It would never work out between you anyway. Once he finds out who you are, where you are from he'll hurt you. They always do. The whole reason you're on the TARDIS is so we can hide from the universe._

Raven tried to meditate, she tried to clear her mind, but she kept seeing Russel on the park bench. She kept imagining what Russel was like. Was he kind, playful, emotional, did he like magic, did he think she was attractive, didn't he mind her pale skin?

 _Stop it!_ _You barely know him!_ She tried to remind herself.

 _But I want to know him._

That shut her mind up for a second.

 _H_ _e was so nice._

 _People are always nice when they first meet you. Then they stick a knife in your back and toss you aside like you and your feelings are disposable._

 _But what if I showed up to the coffee shop?_

 _Don't!_

 _But I..._

 _You'll only get hurt. He won't understand you. He'll sell you out the moment he tires of you. You'll just be a form of currency to buy his way into another's friendship._

Raven decided what she was going to do. She was going to ghost him. She wasn't going to the coffee shop in the morning. She was going to save herself by not seeing him.

She will not go to see him.

 _I will not go to see him!_

* * *

 _OH, GOD DAMN IT!_ Her mind fumed as Raven walked towards the coffee shop the next morning. She had her book in her arms, still blank.

 _Just get through this._ She told herself. _Just get through this interaction and go home._

As Raven entered the Coffee shop, the door caught a bell attached to the door frame making it ring out. It rung again as the door closed. The coffee shop was mostly empty and she noticed there was no sign of Russel. Did he ghost her?

 _I told you he'd hurt you._

It was exactly eight AM.

 _Maybe he's just late._

 _Give me a break!_

Undeterred, Raven paid for a cup of coffee and sat down at a table, opened her book and again pondered on what to write.

Russel was finally out of her head and she could think more clearly and critically. So she relaxed, placed an elbow on the table and rested her head in her hand.

The Doctor had arrived back in their rented room late yesterday, and though he seemed happy on the surface, underneath Raven could tell there was an undercurrent of tension he was feeling. He wasn't his usual, jovial self.

She was about to ask what was wrong, but he beat her to it.

"What's wrong, Raven?" He'd asked.

"Huh?" She felt like she'd been snapped out of a spell. She'd been thinking about Russel.

"You're usually not this quiet." The Doctor said, "I usually hear the ceremonial 'groan of greetings'."

Raven so wanted to express herself, to talk about how she felt, but she knew the Doctor would laugh at her.

"Nothing." She closed down the conversation.

After a long pause the Doctor came closer and asked. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah." Raven nodded as she stared into empty space. But still, she wanted to speak, she wanted to talk.

"Doctor..." She paused, "Have you ever wanted something? I mean... yeah, have you ever wanted something you think you can never have?"

"Well," That look on his face. _If he comes out with a flippant response then I swear!_ "During my seventh incarnation, I couldn't eat peanut butter. My gums would swell up so I couldn't pronounce the letter Q. I loved peanut butter, but alas my seventh self was denied it."

She sighed, "never mind!"

The Doctor looked at her curiously, like the alien he was. He laid down on his own bed and stared up at the ceiling with her.

"It was... some time ago now. I met someone who just seemed to make me feel... feel a certain way." He faltered like he had trouble articulating his thoughts. "I couldn't describe the feeling then and I certainly can't now. I wanted her to come travel with me, but she couldn't, and I couldn't stay with her. There were too many complications. So, we had to part company. To this day I just imagine what might have been if she'd come with me, or if I'd gone with her."

Raven rolled onto her side to face him. "Did you admit your feelings for her? Did she reciprocate?"

"I think she did." The Doctor said, "human emotions in this field are not my strong suit. We did kiss, so I guess that meant something. She asked me to stay with her, give up my travels. But I couldn't."

"Why?" Raven asked, she wanted to know.

"Because I'm a wanderer who can't settle, and she wasn't really a traveller." The Doctor summed up. "It never would have worked out. Either way, one of us would've been unhappy. Not everyone is suited to travelling in the TARDIS, no matter how much you'd want them to. At that point, we just had to look at the bigger picture."

"But she... she was into you?" Raven asked.

"Our friendship ended with a kiss under the first fireworks of the new Millenium." The Doctor said rather romantically. Part of Raven's guts wanted to blow chunks at such a mushy thing, but her brain was absorbing all of it. "Why do you ask?" he suddenly said and that snapped her out of a pleasant day-dream she was having.

Raven instantly rolled onto her back and focused on that chip in the ceiling again.

"No reason." She said and fell silent.

* * *

Curiously, the Doctor dipped out again and didn't return that night. But a quick scan of the area with her mind told Raven there was no trouble and he was perfectly okay. So she didn't worry. She just enjoyed the peace.

She'd spent the rest of the night looking at her reflection in the mirror. She looked so sad. Negative thoughts entered her head as she reached up to the long strands of hair which came down either side of her face. She looked hideous. She looked like she had as much life in her as a Cyberman. Maybe she should do something with herself. Maybe she should wear makeup, or lipstick. How was she supposed to put on lipstick? Should she do something with her hair?

As she ran a hand through her hair she almost had a panic attack.

 _Is that a zit?!_

Raven shut her eyes tightly and scolded herself. _Stop it! So what if I have zits? Everybody gets them. Think logically._ When she opened her eyes and re-checked she sighed with relief. No, it wasn't a zit. It was just her imagination.

There was nothing she could do to alter her appearance since she had no cosmetics she could apply to her face, and no matter how much she liked that boy there was no way she was changing her hair-style just to attract him. She liked her hair this way. It was manageable, it was cool, and importantly it meant she could cut her own hair herself. Anyway, she didn't know any other hair-styles.

If she was going to meet that boy she was going to go as herself, not as some parody he'll find attractive. He'd have to accept her as she was, or not at all! _Hopefully, not at all!_ Her mind added. Raven still secretly wished he'd reject her.

Despite that wish, in the morning she still made an effort. She had showered, washed her hair, brushed her teeth. Applied some sun-block to stop her skin going red in the summer sun; she really didn't tan well; the usual stuff. She'd also cut her nails, checked her weight and tried to work on smiling, with little success at looking natural. She kept reminding herself that this was all for her own benefit, not Russel's.

Clothes were a big problem. She only had her hoodie, corset and the pair of skin-tight ripped trousers she'd came to Devils End in. The Doctor might get away with wearing the same thing day in day out without the need to change, but Raven was a human...ish. If she were to use her powers she could clean them instantly, but she was supposed to do things the mortal way now.

There wasn't a washing machine in the building and that annoyed Raven. So much so she looked into the Doctors trunk preying he'd thought ahead and packed at least some clothes for her. He hadn't. Typical!

What she did find was a weird-looking device kept next to a comb, a spare tooth-brush and a bar of soap. It looked like an iron, but Raven hadn't the foggiest how to use one and it didn't have a cord to plug it in. Plus, without an ironing-board it was useless. But still, experimentally she pushed a button.

It felt like a veil of warmth had surrounded her. She jumped to her feet but couldn't let go of the iron-thingy for a good few seconds, and when she could Raven dropped it and the iron-thingy clattered to the floor.

Wary of it Raven picked it up and put it back in the case. When she stood up again she saw her reflection in the mirror and her clothes, all of them looked and felt fresh as if they'd been cleaned and ironed.

Without her powers, Raven was starting to appreciate the Time Lord societies eccentric and artistic view to science and technology. It might not be magic, but it came close. It was also so nice for the Doctor to think to pack such a useful gadget. Was this why he never needed to change his clothes?

Meditation came next, and once done it was time to face this new demon which haunted her. She would face Russel and feel his judgement.

Or his affection?

 _Yeah, dream on, girl._

* * *

 _Ravens' heart began to beat faster when she was with Gallrick. Not only was he so charming and charismatic, but he also seemed so open to everything. She'd even invited him back to her quarters to show off her collection of dead spiders. She had a fascination with them. She kind of liked them because they were misunderstood. Everyone feared them and hated them for no reason other than they were creepy. Most spiders were harmless, but everyone screamed at them like they were all poisonous tarantulas._

 _The spiders actually weren't supposed to be dead. Raven just couldn't work out how to take care of them._

 _She could tell that Gallrick was a little weirded out by this. Raven blushed at this and put her little collection away._

 _"You don't need to feel ashamed." Gallrick had said, "They make you special, and unique." Raven was greatly flattered by that. No one ever told her she was special or unique, or at least didn't make it sound like something to be happy about._

 _"I haven't seen you at the temple before." Raven said, she felt herself blushing a little and so she looked away trying to hide her face._

 _"I'm not from Azarath. My mother and I are just passing through." Which meant he wasn't going to be stopping for long. Raven felt a little disappointed. "My mother is here on some kind of business."_

 _"But, you have powers?" Raven asked, genuinely interested. She always thought anyone with psychic powers went straight to Azarath._

 _"My mother and myself come from somewhere far, far away. We actually move around quite a bit." So he travelled around a lot, and he sounded so mysterious, Raven thought, and he sounded like how she'd imagined someone from an Arthurian legend would speak. It was kind of enduring,… and attractive. Only now did Raven notice that his charka jewel wasn't like the traditional Azarath decoration, this one was blue and round, not diamond shaped like hers. She wanted to know more about him, but he didn't seemed to want to talk about himself._

 _Was showing him my spider collection a bad idea?_

 _Despite what felt like a rocky start he hadn't walked away from her yet. She did wonder what she could do to keep him around and not go to someone else, she'd never had a real friend and she didn't want to lose this one._

 _For the rest of the day they'd spent hours playing psychic games with each other. That seemed to make him warm to her a little. Raven did wonder if he had made friends of his own since arriving here. Would his friends now become her friends._

 _"I don't have many friends." Gallrick admitted, "I only arrived in Azarath today."_

 _"I'll show you around!" Young Raven said excitedly, "Are you here long?"_

 _"Until my mother concludes her business." He said with little enthusiasm. He clearly wasn't interested in his mothers' business and Raven didn't want to pry. Instead she gave him the guided tour of the temple, dragging him to each room and explained everything she knew about it._

 _It wasn't until they moved towards the main hall that Raven's blood ran cold. She dragged Gallrick away behind a statue of Azar himself and pressed him into the side of it._

 _"Suppress your presence!" Raven told him, and Gallrick obeyed. An aged woman with deep wrinkles who moved like she had a stick constantly stuck up her backside was approaching down the hall. She walked past them and didn't notice the two tween monks hiding from her. The womans eyes looked like that of an eagle on the hunt. Once they were out of ear shot Raven whispered. "That's the High Mage Kelisha." Raven said about her, "Nobody really likes her. She's mean." Not entirely true. Some liked her, though it was not out of respect, nor a want to be liked back, it was because Kalisha was very generous to those who willingly obeyed her orders. Raven never got any of those privileges from her obviously, because the High Mage didn't seem to like Raven, at all, and Raven didn't know what she'd done to offend her. It seemed whatever weirdness was going on, when something didn't go the way it was supposed to it was somehow Ravens' fault._

 _Well, excuse her for being born._

 _Raven wasn't ashamed to admit that she really didn't want Gallrick to like her, so she didn't feel guilty about maybe bending the truth about her somewhat to make the High Mage appear worse than she already was._

 _"She tortures people she doesn't like." Raven said to him. It sounded convincing to her._

 _"She looks like she's constantly smelling dung." Little Raven laughed at Gallricks quip. He was funny. Raven liked that. She looked at him, and then turned away trying to hide her blushing cheeks from him again. She really liked him. Perhaps they could be more than just friends. After all, Gallrick had no other 'female friends' to speak of, so he was hers to claim._

 _She felt like she was bonding with Gallrick like she'd never done with anyone else before._

* * *

Raven's eyes opened up when the little bell on the shops door rang as someone came in. It wasn't Russel, just some villager. She must've dozed off. Raven shook her head and pushed that memory to the back where it belonged. She wanted to forget Gallrick after what he did to her, but at the same time her current situation felt almost familiar. Hopefully, Russel didn't turn out to be anything like Gallrick. She just had to be on her guard with boys she fancied.

She stared into her coffee cup at her reflection. It was now cool enough to drink and mirrored the feelings within her, they were starting to settle and vanish. Still, she hadn't written anything in her book.

The goth girl held her head in one of her hands and just stared out at the world. This Devils End place was indeed peaceful and tranquil. Weirdly, she had to admit she didn't mind being around people, she just didn't like interacting with them.

You just had to say just the wrong thing and people hate you. Tribes, that was the problem. People often formed into tribes. It was the tribal nature of human behaviour. People fear the strange and unusual. It was for the best that they did fear her. She was a destroyer, she was heartless, and no amount of mushy feelings would change that.

"Good morning, Miss Roth." Oh, God damn it! He was here! She suddenly had butterflies again!

 _Just get through it, take the knife and go home!_

Russel stood opposite her table and gestured to the opposite seat. "May I?"

Raven shrugged trying to faint disinterest, "Knock yourself out."

Russel sat down and unpacked his sketch pad, and it had a strong smell of pencil markings. He opened to a page he'd been drawing yesterday and he turned the book over for her to see. "I've finished."

Raven looked down at the page, determined to show disinterest. But...

It was... very good.

"You're very talented." Raven found herself saying.

"Why, thank you." Russel smiled his enchanting smile. "I nearly didn't notice you here without your hood up."

Raven reached up and felt her hood, but did not raise it. She then looked down at the eyes he'd drawn on her. Dark, mysterious, cold, but there was a hint of warmth and sadness to them.

"You're not local, I take it?" Russel asked. "Let me guess, you live in the states and you go to some fancy university or something?"

"Actually, my... Dad and I travel around." She fished for a good lie, "He's a lecturer, he travels around giving lectures and I have to tag along."

"That sounds interesting." Russel said, "Must get lonely though, not settling in one place."

"I have my books." Raven said, "I don't need people."

Russel seemed to falter at that statement and wondered where to take it.

"Are you trying to write your own story?" Russel asked, nodding at the blank book.

Raven sighed deeply. "I don't know what to write." She admitted, "I thought writing might be my hidden talent, but... my imagination is stale."

"Surely, a well-read, intelligent woman like you should be able to come up with something. Maybe you should let your mind relax and ideas will come to you."

 _He thinks I'm intelligent?!_

 _Shut it! He's being patronising!_ Raven wanted to call him out on it, but she didn't. He didn't sound like he was being disrespectful, he was trying to be nice.

"Are you interested in the supernatural?" Russel asked. "There's a lot of spooky stuff which happens around this town. The church used to be full of devil worshipers."

That caught her attention. "You mean like the occult? Dark magic?"

"Yeah, they used to worship under the church over there." He nodded at the ruin.

"What happened to it?" Raven asked.

"Nobody's sure. Some in the village claim some demon called Azal was summoned, and he destroyed it." Russel laughed.

"You don't... 'believe'... do you?" Raven asked.

"No." He said bluntly with a smile. "Do you?"

Raven stared at him for a good few seconds before saying. "Yes." and she waited for him to scoff.

"That's cool." He shrugged, "personally, I think it's all nonsense, but as long as you're not physically hurting anyone you can believe what you like."

"Don't patronise me." Raven bit.

"No, I mean it." Russel reassured, "just because we think differently its no reason to become unfriendly."

That was a mature sentiment, one Raven agreed with, but was one not many would follow when you boil it down.

"Do you want to see it?" Russel asked.

"What?"

"The ruin where they worshipped demons?" Again, Raven was struck by his eye contact. His eyes were a lovely, deep brown that matched his hair in the same way her eyes matched her own hair. They also had a look of warmth and understanding. And like yesterday they were focused on her face and not anywhere else, even though she'd unconsciously left her hoody slightly unzipped so he could clearly see her neck and the edges of her cleavage. Still, his eyes didn't wander and not once were they drawn to her chest. Not that she wanted him to gaze down her neckline or anything. Only then did Raven realise she was sitting straighter than usual, she was playing with her hair, and narrowing her shoulders to make her look more 'lady-like.' When she realised this she forced herself to go back to her neutral posture. Why was her subconscious betraying her like this?!

Raven leant forward and put her face back in her hand again.

"Sure." She answered. Only then did she notice her free hand had begun playing with her hoodies zipper and she fought some strange instinct to pull it further down. _What the hell is wrong with me?_ She forced herself to zip her hoodie up to her neck, but not all the way, just enough to cover the exposed skin.

Russel didn't seem to notice. He seemed kind of oblivious to it all. For some reason that was not the response Raven wanted from him.

They both ordered a cup of coffee so she had time to try to back out before they finished their drinks. But as they talked the less she wanted to break away and walk out. They just talked and talked, and it felt good to talk. He was so full of questions about her, it was kind of flattering, but she didn't trust him enough with her secrets. So wherever a secret lay, she'd either be mysterious, which he seemed to like, or she'd just give him a made-up answer. It's not like he was ever going to find out.

 _What would be the harm in a little walk up to a ruin? It's not as if I'm falling for him._

Her heartbeat said otherwise.

 _Damn it!_

* * *

He'd led her up a hill, through the graveyard and up to the ruin. It had been sealed off with a metal fence to stop people from getting to close to the big, sudden dip into the ruined foundations.

There was nothing here. Just the loose stones with grass poking through. There were signs of the architecture that used to be there, but overall nature was reclaiming the space.

Raven risked reaching out with her mind, and she could sense that dark and sinister things had happened down there. There was a psychic power, unlike anything she'd sensed before. She wanted to go down and investigate this power, but she held back. She was supposed to be 'ordinary' now.

"Are you religious at all, by the way?" Russel asked.

"You got a problem with that?" She asked, a little pointedly.

"No, I'm just curious about that gem in your forehead." As Raven turned her head she noticed Russel's eyes were on her mind chakra. Now they were focused on her eyes.

"It's my mind chakra." Raven said. "It... it's part of my religion. Yes."

"Cool. What sort of God do you worship?" Russel asked, that was a bit of a personal question.

"We... I... I don't know." She admitted. "My religion is more about the self, about balance, about wellbeing."

"So like Buddhism then?" Russel suggested, "That's an Atheistic religion." Was it? She didn't know.

"I don't know what Buddhism is, but I guess so." Raven shrugged, "We do believe in demons, monsters and a mystical destroyer. There was some mutterings about a God, but I never gave it much thought." She could tell Russel was about to ask more, so she hastily said. "Can we talk about something else?"

"Bad vibes?" He asked.

"Something like that."

 _Say something really douchey!_ Her mind insisted of him. She wanted him to act and behave as she expected people to. To treat her like an evil demon. Insult her somehow so she didn't have to feel this way about him anymore. _Say something stupid, insulting or hurtful so I can get out of this situation, please!_

Suddenly he laughed a little. "That's a very interesting hairstyle." _This could be it. The comment that breaks this spell!_

"It's stupid, I know." Raven felt a little anger rise.

"I think it suits you. It's rather pretty." _Oh, for God sake!_ Her mind screeched in despair, but Raven's inner girly-girl also squealed at that, and she momentarily went rigid as she fought it all back. "It's like the wings of a raven."

Speaking of ravens she noticed there were a couple in the churchyard. This wasn't an important detail, Raven was just trying to contain what she was feeling. She looked at Russel. She felt like she had to say something.

"I... I like your hair too." Raven looked away briefly before looking back at him. "Do you believe in God? Magic? Supernatural?"

 _You already know he doesn't believe in that, you idiot!_

"No, I don't believe in any of that stuff. I'm open to the idea of God, but ultimately it's just not important to me." He shrugged. Long and short of it, he meant spiritually he was an Athiest, but by the sound of it, just an Agnostic Athiest, one who doesn't know for certain. Raven didn't know whether to regard that idea as foolish or not, considering what exactly she is. God didn't create Raven after all, and she guessed for everyone's talk of a God, she'd never sensed him out there, nor even met him, or indeed her. "I'm not the religious type anyway." He continued on. "I'm not one to just go along with a narrative, whether it be religious, political or even personal. I always end up asking questions people don't like to be asked. I never mean to cause offence, but I guess when you believe something so passionately the last thing you'd want to do is examine it too closely, for someone to ask questions you find you can't answer. People just find it upsetting, so I've stopped trying to understand and just keep myself to myself. They can believe what they want to believe, as long as they accept I just don't." Russel turned to her. "Is something wrong?"

Raven had been staring at him. She thought she was the only one intelligent enough to see the world like that, to see people like that. She closed her eyes and fought her feelings down. Even if this relationship never came of anything, maybe she'd found a proper friend at least. Suddenly she wanted his favour but didn't know what to do to impress him.

Except...

"Do you like magic?" Raven asked him.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** Ambivalence means to have mixed/contradictory feelings, thoughts or emotions about something or someone.


	67. Chapter 66, At the Devils Hump

**Authors notes: Updated 06/Jan/2020**

I will admit, Russel is a little awkward in this chapter. There is a reason for that, that will be written into the story later when I update it. So please, bear with me on this.

Some might notice there are aspects of Beast Boy in Russel. That was no accident. ;)

I noticed in the episode 'Spell Bound', Raven's personality and attitude changed a little while she was with Malchior. She became more secure and confident. This is the reason why she's behaving a little out of her usual character for this adventure, it's in a similar vane to the TV show. I get the feeling her lighter-hearted version is more the person she wants to be, but the fear of judgement and betrayal makes her lock that person up in her head.

 **[EDITS]28/10/2019:** Altered some of the language because after reading it back a few times it didn't get across what I was actually trying to describe.

* * *

 **Chapter 66**

 **At the Devils Hump.**

Unfortunately, it turns out Raven was terrible at fake magic as much as she was at socialising. She tried the Doctors go-to penny behind the ear trick. But she messed it up so many times it was embarrassing. She couldn't even make the coin 'disappear' between her fingers without it poking out from between them. A couple of times it fell through and landed on the floor. Russel laughed when she screwed it up and she felt embarrassed.

These tricks she could easily pull off if she just delved into her powers. He wouldn't be laughing then.

He tried it himself, he seemed to know the trick. Though he could make the penny 'disappear' from his hands, but he couldn't make it 'reappear' behind her ear. The reason became clear. He couldn't do it either. He'd slipped the coin down his sleeve instead of hiding it between his fingers. Raven called him out on this, so he let the coin fall into his hand and he quickly tossed it away in plain sight.

"Ta-da!" He announced as if that was part of the trick. Raven found herself rolling her eyes, though she had to admit she was amused. It did make her feel better knowing Russel couldn't do it either. At that moment they both looked foolish to each other.

"Are you a fan of Tommy Cooper?" He asked suddenly.

"No. Who's that?" Raven asked.

"You've never heard of Tommy Cooper?" He said in a mock outraged tone. "Tall guy in a fez who goes, 'Just like that!'" He said in a deep, gravelly voice clearly mimicking someone as he waved his hands around. Raven was confused and just looked at her own hands, she had no idea who he was talking about.

"I guess he wasn't that big in the States." Russel laughed, "He was a magician and a comedian. He was actually a very good magician, but when his tricks failed his audience would laugh so hard that he decided to make 'mistakes' part of his routine, and so he just rolled with it."

 _Just roll with it._ Raven's mind echoed. She didn't see the funny side in a magic trick failing. How could that be funny?

As she hung out with him Raven began to wonder, didn't Russel have any friends of his own in the village? Why was he hanging out with her, the weird, skinny goth girl? Did Russel not have any friends of his own?

 _How sad and pathetic..._ Went a darker part of her mind.

 _Remember, you, technically, have no friends._

 _SHUT UP!_

Despite feeling calm and at peace, Raven still felt a little shy. After all, nobody tended to like her for very long.

Wait, was he leading her into a trap? At some point would several of his friends suddenly ambush her and try to beat her up for being weird? If they tried that then they were in for a surprise. Raven may have sworn off her powers, but if she was in danger who knows what might happen when she releases power. But looking to Russel Raven couldn't detect a hint of malice, or dislike in him. Maybe what she was expecting was not going to happen, maybe he was just being friendly. Despite thinking that, Raven was still on edge.

Raven thought she had all of her emotions under lock and key in her head. But this new one she wasn't used to feeling and she hadn't had a chance to chain it up yet. And it needed to be chained up! A sobering reason why came but a few minutes later, when her powers escaped through her confused mind and struck down a tree just ahead of them. Russel instantly stood in front or Raven as if to protect her from the falling tree, a tree that was much too far away to hurt them.

"I wonder what caused that?" Russel said.

"Yeah, I wonder..." Raven trailed off, then took a deep breath.

"You alright?" He asked, concern on his face.

"Yeah, because that tree really posed a danger to us." Raven rolled her eyes, Russel laughed.

"Better to be safe." He shrugged, and they continued walking, moving around the fallen tree. Russel held a hand back to help her over it. She looked at it like it was intrusive, but took it, and he helped her over the tree.

Raven looked back. Something had tickled the edges of her senses. She wasn't sure what it was, but... Nah, it must've been her imagination. She was almost certain they were being followed.

* * *

They were both walking down a road towards a place Russel had called the Devils Hump. Russel described it as another place of devil worship where ceremonies used to be held centuries ago. Raven, naturally, was very interested in seeing it, she loved dark stuff like that.

"Though it's not much of a hump any more." He'd said, "It's a crater. Apparently, something blew up there at the same time the church did. Some mumbo-jumbo to do with this Azal demon again." He seemed very dismissive about it. Though Raven didn't know if it was true or not she still kind of felt insulted by his dismissal of the existence of demons. She really wanted to show him her powers, just to put the guys arrogance in its place.

"When was this." Raven had asked, it must've been a long time ago.

"Sometime in the seventies, before I was born."

"The nineteen seventies?!" Raven exclaimed. She'd never expected all this to have happened so recently. Usually, events like this happen centuries in the past. But this was within living memory, relatively speaking from her point of reference. It felt weird to be back in her home time. Even weirder to think there was probably another Raven back on Azarath, a Raven who was so removed from who she was now.

They passed over a bridge which ran over a small river flowing from a large pond of water that was maybe an acre or two big and who knows how deep. Russel stopped to look over the edge.

"I learnt to swim here." He said. "See the small waterfall over there?" He pointed at a small waterfall which helped feed the pond, no taller than Raven was. "It looked taller to me back then, but we used to slide down that into the river."

"I can't swim." Raven admitted flatly.

Russel turned to her. "How come?"

"I..." she wanted to speak, but what could she say? "It was never important to learn it."

"It's not important to me either, I spend most of my time on dry land. I thought everyone learnt how to swim." Russel said.

"Why bother learning?" She asked him directly.

"Because otherwise, you might drown in the bath." Russel shrugged. Raven just raised an eyebrow at that; then she groaned. Maybe she was wrong about this guy. He just seemed a little off, but it wasn't a threatening kind of off, it wasn't just eccentricity, it was something deeper.

 _Is that how people see me?_ She wondered. _Not threatening, but 'off'._ What were they talking about again? Oh right, swimming.

"I have been trying to learn how." Raven said, looking down into the water. "But it's difficult when you're by yourself. As soon as water closes over me I just panic."

"Do you want to learn a tip?" Russel asked. He had her attention. "When you find yourself underwater, there is one important thing to know." He said, "It's absolutely important that you do this, are you listening?" Russel had her full attention now. "When you find yourself underwater, the important thing is... to hold your breath." He smiled again.

Raven's brow and expression dropped.

"No shit."

* * *

By the look of it, they were just coming up on the Devils Hump after walking down this road for a good hour. Raven still hated the country, but for some reason, the summer air smelt sweeter than she'd remembered yesterday.

Raven was wondering if she really was under some kind of spell. It would make sense, but she didn't sense any kind of fluence on herself. Nothing about this was even remotely logical. The immediate infatuation she had with him was starting to cool, but still, she wanted to hang out with him. He was so odd himself that it actually made Raven feel normal, paradoxically.

The crater, that was paradoxically called the Devils Hump, lay in the field by the road and they both walked up to the edge and stopped, The crater was at least fifty feet wide and looked like an explosion had flung dirt out.

Russel stopped as did Raven. There was a used coffee cup on the ground by his feet. Russel looked at it with disgust, knelt down and picked it up.

"You don't know where that's been!" Raven hissed at him, disgusted.

"There's a bin just down the way." Russel said back pointing, "I wish people wouldn't just fling their rubbish out on the road like this." He ran down the incline and dropped the cup into a bin which had a faded sign on it which read, 'Keep Britain Tidy' and ran back up to join her again.

"You know, my dear old uncle used to work at a coffee plant." Russel said, "It's a sad tale. He was working the late shift one night and he fell over the railings and landed in the coffee vat." Raven felt a little sorry for him, but she wondered why he was telling her this. How could a coffee cup bring up such a story?

"He didn't suffer. Apparently, it was instant." And he stopped.

 _Huh? What was that?_ Raven wondered as the words rattled in her head. Instant death at a coffee plant. It was a sad story but...

Hey, wait a minute! 'Instant Coffee', And looking at Russel he was smirking. It was a joke, and he'd said it so deadpan that Raven couldn't help taking it seriously.

A little irritated, Raven slapped him roughly but gently across his arm, and he laughed.

"I shouldn't laugh actually." Russel said, "He actually did die. Heart attack. He was a ripe old age and it was his time. His final wish was to have his remains scattered around Disneyland."

"Did you?" Raven asked, interested in this macabre story.

"Yeah, but the officials weren't happy." He paused, Raven wanted him to continue. "You see, they were happy for me to scatter his remains. But they said I should've cremated him first."

The images Raven dreamt up in her head were gruesome. Bloody body parts being scattered around a children's theme park. It just sounded so silly. Then the penny dropped.

Raven stared daggers at him and roughly, yet gently and playfully tried to shove him aside. "Stop it!" She insisted, suppressing a smile.

Russel began waving his arms because she'd shoved him too near the edge of the crater and he was about to fall in!

Quickly, Raven grabbed his arm, but he was too heavy for her to haul back up again. He lost his footing and fell, Raven refused to let go and so she was dragged over the side with him. They both fell into the crater and began rolling around each other as they fell to the bottom. Once they stopped, Russel was on top of her and he shielded her as a dirt trail followed them down and rained down around them.

Once the dirt cleared the two then just stared at each other for a few seconds until the penny of where they were and what position they were in, dropped. Raven swore he was starting to blush a little.

"Sorry." He said hurriedly and he got up off of her and dusted himself down. Raven sat up and raised her hood to try to hide the fact that she felt herself blushing too. Her face felt so warm she felt like you could see it from the moon. Russel held his hand out to help her up like a gentleman. Raven looked at the hand he'd offered, then she looked up at Russel. Gingerly, she raised her hand and allowed Russel to help her up.

"Sorry." She said in a low voice.

"It was an accident." Russel shrugged. "No big deal." Though he rolled his arm a little, Raven could tell he'd hurt himself though it apparently wasn't serious. Raven raised her hand to use her healing powers, but thought better of it.

"Are you alright?" He asked, she was fine.

"Are you alright?" She echoed, looking at his arm.

"It's nothing serious, I've had worse falls." Russel said, trying to hide the pain. A quick scan of his aura told Raven he was fine. Once her blushing had faded Raven lowered her hood and she turned to her friend.

"Shall we get out of here?" Russel asked, gesturing up the crater.

"Gladly."

Russel led and helped Raven along up the steep sides of the crater. It wasn't difficult, but the crater did get steep as they got closer to the edge. Once they broke the edge of the crater and could see the wilderness around them Raven saw something she wished she had not.

It was the Doctor! What was he doing way out here?!

He had some kind of strange, brass device strapped on his chest with what looked like a cars wing mirror bolted to it and he was scanning the forest.

The Doctor had his back to them so he hadn't noticed them. Quickly, Raven jumped back down into the crater, stopped, and reached back and tugged Russel's arm to pull him back down.

"Hey, what gives?!" He protested.

"It's my Dad. He can't see us together!" Raven protested and Russel obeyed. They both laid down in the grass on the edge of the crater and watched him.

"Why can't he see us together?" Russel asked. "Is he 'that kind' of Dad?"

"He's unusual." She admitted. She knew the Doctor wouldn't mind, in fact, she knew he'd be all too pleased. That was the annoying thing. The pleased look he'd give her would be unbearable.

"What's he doing?" Russel asked Raven, as if she had any idea.

"I don't know." Raven admitted, but clearly this meant their little 'Holiday' was anything but a holiday. The Doctor was up to something, and Raven wanted to know what, and why he didn't share this mission with her.

If she and the Doctor were investigating something together then she'd probably have gotten out of this place faster _._ What exactly was he up to that he couldn't take her along? Why was he being so secretive? She watched as the Time Lord walked into the nearby forest, too preoccupied with that strange device.

Raven was up and standing at the edge of the crater with Russel beside her.

"What's he doing?" Russel asked.

"I'm going to find out." Raven said a little irritated at the Time Lord. "Come on!"

As Raven walked towards the forest she didn't notice she'd unconsciously reached back, took Russel by the arm with her hand and she was now leading him towards the forest. She stopped and realised the irony of what she had just done. She looked back at Russel and gently she let his arm drop.

"Listen, Russel." She should tell him to go home. If the Doctor was investigating then what he was looking into was likely dangerous. But... she didn't know. She wanted Russel to come with her.

"Yes, what's wrong?" Russel asked as Raven paused in thought.

"Two things. Stay close," She advised, then looked him dead in the eyes to show she was serious, "and remember. I'm in charge!"

Russel just shrugged and let Raven lead him into the forest.

 _How like the Doctor._ Her mind said to her. _You've picked up your own little companion._

 _SHUT UP!_

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:**

It occurred to me that Raven would have to get used to contemporary Earth at some point before leaving the TARDIS and joining the Titans, which is why I've added in that bit about the TARDIS hanging around Earth. It's also a slight dig at the early revival Doctor Who TV series for constantly sticking to Earth.

That device the Doctor has strapped to himself should be familiar to some. ;)


	68. Chapter 67, Doctor Roth, I presume?

**Updated: 06/Jan/2020:**

* * *

 **Chapter 67**

 **Doctor Roth, I presume?**

Keeping a good distance from the Doctor and keeping him within sight was not difficult. He stood out like a sore thumb in that frock coat getup.

The Doctor swivelled the mirror so he was facing it, and eccentrically checked his teeth in the reflection. Lights danced over the mirrored surface and a stream of paper printed from the side, which the Doctor picked up, checked, and then pocketed. He then began pointing the mirrored surface around the trees, like he was trying to pick something out.

When the Doctor turned to face them Raven quickly dragged Russel behind a tree. The tree was rather narrow, so they had to squeeze up against each other to avoid being seen.

"You could've taken me out to dinner first." Russel said as she pushed him into the tree. Carefully, Raven inched her way around the tree, across Russel and over the side to look at the Doctor. "There's a good fish and chip shop in the village."

"I hate chips." Raven commented. She really did hate them. They were soggy, usually doused in salt and vinegar, and though they did have a good taste what Raven disliked about them was their texture. "I prefer fries."

"You really are an American aren't you." Russel said playfully smiling. Raven mentally rolled her eyes.

"Technically, I'm not. I just sound like one." Like the Doctor, who sounded English, but really wasn't. Speaking of the Doctor, he jotted down some notes into a book and set off again, checking the mirror as he went.

"Come on." Raven gestured for Russel to follow.

"I love a woman who takes charge." He said as she moved off.

"Shut up!" Raven hissed.

"Hey, you pulled me in close and pinned me to a tree. I'm only human." He shrugged, and Raven groaned.

"Get your head out of the gutter!" She hissed. Russel was no threat, she'd come to accept that. He could've tried anything on right now, especially back there while they were squeezed up against each other.

The Doctor was, maybe, at least seventy feet away and gave no indication he thought he was being followed. Raven kind of felt betrayed by this behaviour of his, going at some sort of investigation on his own. She was supposed to be the Doctors bodyguard, they were almost partners in this 'saving people' business, she guessed. So why was he leaving her out of this?

"I used to go camping in these woods when I was a boy." Russel said, "You'd love it. It gets really dark and creepy here on a night, it's almost frightening."

"I don't do fear, and I don't do camping." Raven said. She preferred a solid roof over her head, and she hated nature, she hated the outdoors. "Are there any dangerous animals in the woods?"

"What, in England?" Russel laughed at the idea. "The most dangerous thing in this country are squirrels, and they aren't exactly known for hunting large prey down in packs. Come to think of it, the wildlife in this country isn't really that wild."

Again, Raven and Russel had to hide from the Doctors scanning machine. So again, Raven forced them both to squeeze up against a tree. Thankfully this time this tree was so large Raven didn't have to squeeze up against Russel. Neither of them minded, but Raven just wanted to avoid any more of Russel's flippant responses or flirtations.

 _But please, don't stop._ Thought the girly-girl part of her mind. Raven wished that part of her was personified in front of her right now, so she could shoot it! Raven had long-buried memories of when that girly-girl side of her got her hurt in pursuit of its desires and fantasies. Raven had denied it the desires it wanted for years, she wasn't about to give into them now. But still, something about his flirtations made her feel attractive, and that felt nice. But she recognised that feeling for what it was, it was like a drug, and like all drugs it'll blind her.

Raven's attention went to Russel as he too peered over the side of the tree. Despite the way he made her feel she didn't dislike him. But maybe it was a mistake to bring him. Not because of his flippant responses, but because he might get hurt. The more they followed the Doctor, the more Raven began to worry, the more her desire to keep Russel close began to give way to the logical realisation that she was only selfishly keeping him close because... reasons.

But he might die, and she didn't know if she could live with herself if she led this guy to his death just because of her own selfish desires for... for company. This thought seemed to sober the girly part of her mind.

"Russel." She said, "Things might get dangerous. You don't have to be here if you don't want to." She wanted him to go, to leave, but just for his own safety.

"I can't leave you by yourself." Russel protested back to her. She didn't need his protection, she could handle herself.

"Russel." Raven said looking into his eyes. "Please go, please just be safe." If this tactic didn't work, then she'd have to resort to something more drastic. She'd feel wretched, but if it made him go home and be safe then she'd have to hurt him, she'll have to insult him, threaten him, anything to kill any attraction for her he might be feeling so he'd leave her _..._

He'd be safe, at least.

 _You don't need him!_ Her mind insisted again.

 _Don't start that all over again!_

"Why, what danger are you expecting in this sleepy slice of Wiltshire where nothing happens?" Russel asked. God, why wouldn't he just obey her?! She'd gladly meet him later, she just wanted him to be safe. "What does your Dad do that's so secretive?"

"Russel!" Raven closed her eyes. She didn't want to, but she was going to have to resort to this. She began to open her mouth to speak, but Russel cut across her.

"You expect me to just walk away now? This is rather fun and exciting." Oh god, the ignorant idiot! "Anyway, you're the first girl who's taken me out on a mystery for a first date." That made Raven flare-up.

"This is NOT a date!" She insisted a little too loudly. She froze. There followed a deadly silence as she waited to be discovered, and with her pressing Russel up against a tree like this embarrassing misunderstandings were going to follow. But nothing happened, at first.

"Hello, is someone there?" The Doctor called.

 _SHIT, SHIT, SHIT!_ She could hear him slowly coming towards their hiding place!

Russel put his hands on her shoulders to grab her attention. "You don't want your Dad to know you're here." Russel knew the answer to that, "Does he know about me?"

"No." Raven said a little too sharply.

"Alright, stay hidden." and he gently swung her so she was against the tree, and he stepped out into the open without her.

"Hello there." Russel waved cheerily at the Doctor. Raven pressed herself up against the tree and waited.

"Hello, who are you?" The Doctor asked as the two guys approached each other. Raven watched from the tree as they interacted.

"I'm Hopkins, Russel Hopkins." Russel held out a hand and the Doctor shook it.

"Russel 'Hopkins'?" The Doctor asked, "Any relation to old Matthew?"

"God, I hope not." Russel laughed, "He's not exactly known for his humanitarian efforts."

"Nor his ales. Which was a pity, because they were rather good." The Time Lord smiled. "I'm the Doctor by the way."

"Doctor?" Russel asked fishing for a surname.

"Just the Doctor will do." The Doctor looked at the boy up and down. "What are you up to if you don't mind me asking?"

"Oh... I'm a twitcher." Russel said, and from his jacket he pulled out a small pair of binoculars. "I'm hoping to see a Yellow Wagtail."

"I had no idea they nested in this forest." The Doctor said, clearly trying to catch Russel in a lie.

"Oh yes, they do." Russel lied. Then pulled out his sketch pad. "I'm also a sketcher." and he showed the Doctor some of his drawings.

"Really? May I see?" The Doctor sounded excited to see the book. "My, my. You're a very talented boy." The Doctor said, clearly impressed.

 _Ask him what he's doing!_ Raven insisted of Russel.

"What are you doing here with that contraption on?" Russel then asked, looking at the apparatus around the Doctors shoulders. "Looking for ghosts?"

"Yes, something along those lines." The Doctor said, then turned the mirrored surface to him. "Say cheese."

Raven couldn't see the screen, but Russel was taken momentarily off guard by something. A blue hue over his face told Raven it had just scanned him. Paper spooled out of the machine and the Doctor scanned it himself.

"My-my, you are an interesting fellow." The Doctor said, "Though, you'd better wash your face more thoroughly, you're about to have a bad outbreak of acne. I'd also control that Demodex population, you're on the path to developing rosacea."

Russel was taken aback, feeling his face. "Is that bad?"

"Just wash your face more thoroughly and you'll avoid it." The Doctor reassured him, "Better to keep on top of skin problems. I had really bad acne when I was a teenager and it didn't clear up for fifty-six years."

"Umm... okay." Russel shrugged. "You haven't exactly answered my question."

"No, I haven't. Annoying, isn't it?" The Doctor said in a charming and mysterious way while being totally secretive.

"Do you need any help?" Russel offered, "I know this wood like the back of my hand."

While the Doctor looked at the printout further Russel moved around his side to pretend to look at it. In reality, he was looking up at Raven and her hiding spot to make sure she was okay.

"That shouldn't be necessary." The Doctor waved a hand dismissively, "unless of course, you know of anywhere where a psychokinetic semi-material apparition might hide; or a none-reactive manifestation of dimensional permeable dark matter might pool?"

Russel, at first, didn't speak as he tried to grasp what the Doctor had said. _Russel's confused face looked kind of cute._

 _Shut it!_

"Not off the top of my head, no." He answered. "Do they usually hide in fox holes or burrows?"

"It's a possibility. Do you know many?"

"I've found a few. Come on, I'll show you. This way." Russel gestured, and he and the Doctor began walking away.

Behind the Doctors back Russel looked over at Raven's hiding place and gave her a thumbs up and gestured that he'd catch up with her later.

"One's just down this way," Russel said, "Doctor Roth."

"Huh? Doctor who?"

The rest of the conversation was inaudible because they were now too far away.

What did the Doctor say he was looking for? Either a 'psychokinetic semi-material apparition'; or 'a none-reactive manifestation of dimensional permeable dark matter'. Raven had hung out with the Doctor long enough to learn how to decipher techno-babble. 'Psychokinetic' suggested something psychic, 'semi-material' suggested something that could be both material and yet immaterial, and 'apparition' suggested it was something which manifested unexpectedly and without prior warning. Okay, the other thing was 'permeable dark matter'. Raven had heard of that. Dark matter was a type of matter which interacted with the universe gravitationally, but didn't interact with light or radiation, hence it couldn't be seen, it would be invisible, but its effects could be felt. Permeable Dark Matter, therefore, must be Dark Matter which is spilling out from a higher dimension into this plane of existence.

Going by that, Raven guessed the Doctor was looking for something that was invisible, possibly able to phase in and out of the material world, and could interact with the material world somehow.

And it was somewhere in this forest.

With them...

Raven looked around the wood. Trees in every direction, closing in around them like the walls of a giant maze, and there was something here which was invisible, and could potentially harm them.

 _I'm not afraid!_ Her mind insisted. The cawing of an actual raven in the trees made her spin around, her heart rate was rising. Gingerly, she began to follow the Doctor and Russel at a distance. _I'm still not afraid..._

 _B_ _ut I will admit I am a little creeped out!_

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** Now, we're getting into the Doctor Who mystery. If this wasn't strictly being told from Raven's perspective then I would've written that the Doctor had detected something strange in and around Devils End, and given his past history with the town he felt compelled to investigate it to make sure it wasn't a threat to the local population. It's probably for the best, because there is a reason why he doesn't want Raven involved, but if I told you it might spoil. ;)

Demodex are small, mite-like creatures which live on our skin and face and are linked to causes of acne.


	69. Chapter 68, The Invisible Monster

**Updated 06/Jan/2019**

* * *

 **Chapter 68**

 **The Invisible Monster**

Something didn't sit right in Raven's mind. She didn't want Russel and the Doctor to interact. Thinking about it made her realise that though she liked Russel, she didn't exactly trust him entirely. It was kind of like that feeling a small animal would probably get when it spots a predator in disguise. When it spotted something that was 'uncanny-valley' like to it, and it steered clear of it. Part of her felt that way about Russel. There was something a little uncanny-valley about him, but not so much that it put her off. What if Russel was really a threat? And knowing threats to the Doctor, they were always hidden aliens of some kind. That would explain why Russel had her almost spellbound, was his human appearance just a disguise? Were her mixed-up feelings a result of some kind of influence Russel was sinisterly generating?

 _Love? Ugh! What is love?_ Except for a biochemical reaction which compels animals to breed. For once, Raven was happy that science did ruin something that was considered 'magical'.

Her mind was wandering again and so she refocused herself back to Russel and the Doctor as they talked. She picked them up as they were in mid-conversation.

"I expected a child your age to be playing with other teenagers." The Doctor said.

"I... don't get on well with other kids," Russel admitted. "Kids my age," he paused to think, "they don't value individuality."

"Trust me, its the same the universe over." The Doctor said. "But they never crushed my individuality." He laughed. "But surely you have your own friends to hang around with?" Russel remained silent on the matter. Raven wanted to see his face, she wanted to know what he was thinking, but he had his back to her.

Looking at Russel, she allowed just a little of her powers to flow, just enough so she could read his surface thoughts and feelings. There was a great deal of anger mixed in with sadness. Angry at what? Angry at who? And why sadness? His melting pot of emotions settled into a depressive state. Then suddenly it was shoved aside. It wasn't gone, it was just moved to the side so he wasn't focused on it.

So Russel wasn't real. He was hiding something. The face and attitude were fake and he was still presenting that fake persona to the Doctor and to Raven.

What was he really thinking? What was he really doing? Raven was starting to feel angry, she felt like she was being manipulated.

 _Stop, stop!_ Her mind commanded as a dark aura had formed around her and her powers threatened to seep out. _You don't know anything. This is all speculation. Remember, you hide your feelings behind a mask too. Why is it when he does it, it's suddenly suspicious?_

 _Facts before feelings!_ Raven thought. _Facts before feelings._

"Pist!" came a hiss from someone. Raven looked around and saw just behind her was someone new. It was a girl, a girl who was creeping up behind her. Raven didn't feel threatened. If the girl wanted to ambush her then hissing 'pist' is not the way to do it.

"Hel... hello." Raven said in a low voice fixing the girl with a look which said, 'Don't try anything, because I will hurt you.'

As the girl approached her whole body language shifted from one who did not want to be found to someone casually relaxed. The girl was pale, and very skinny but also very tall, at least a full head taller than Raven. Her long blond hair did not match her face shape, as a result, it kind of made the hair look fake. She looked kind of weird and unique, and Raven liked that. As she came closer Raven also noticed she had a nose ring dangling from her nose, like one on a bull. It was kind of cool.

 _Maybe I should get a piercing._ A stray thought said.

 _Absolutely not!_ Went another part of her.

"I'm Antonia Hardwick." The girl said. "I saw you with Russel back there."

 _Oh god, was this his girlfriend?_ Raven thought. The demon girl had never considered Russel might already have someone else and he was just being friendly with her. But then why was she trying to hide and not confront him directly? Either way, Raven wasn't in the mood to deal with domestic drama right now. Better defuse the situation verbally so she didn't need to use her powers to defend herself.

"We're not seeing each other if..." but the woman hushed her.

"No, no, no. That's not it. We want to warn you about Russel." Antonia said in a hushed voice.

We? But Raven's question was answered when from around the corner came two other girls.

"That's Sarah." Antonia said, pointing at a pretty looking, slim brunette with long curly hair. She looked quite regal in a way. "That's Lisa." Antonia pointed at a tall, overweight girl with her blond hair tied back.

"Warn me about what?" Raven's guard was instantly up, but her mind was intrigued. She wanted to know more about Russel and these girls might be able to provide it.

"We used to go to school with him." Lisa said, "You'll want to steer clear of him if you know what's good for you."

"Are you threatening me?" Raven said, her eyes giving Lisa a dark look that she wouldn't be pushed around.

"No. You'll have to forgive Lisa." Antonia said, "We're just looking out for a fellow girl. We've all got to stick together. This is a man's world, after all."

 _This is Trigon's world._ Raven's mind thought both darkly and sadly.

"Russel is..." Antonia looked hurt and scared, "A nasty piece of work."

Raven raised an eyebrow. "He's been pretty respectful of me so far." Antonia looked briefly surprised, but then she nodded at her.

"Look, we just want to warn you." Antonia said, "If you hang out with him then you'll find out why you should drop him sooner rather than later."

"I'll consider this, thanks. I can look after myself." Raven said flatly, she wasn't about to let a bunch of strangers dictate who she should and should not hang out with.

"Say, wanna go to the book shop?" Antonia suggested. That was a sharp change in the conversation.

"Yeah, we go there every day at four for meetings." Sarah piped up. "It's like a book club."

"Book club? I do like books." Raven's voice stumbled a little, and her voice became a little quieter now she was certain she wasn't being threatened.

"Really, what are you into?" Antonia asked. "Stephenie Meyer?" _That was the author of the Twilight Saga?_ A groan went through Raven's mind.

"What about Jane Helix, or Summer Vale?" Lisa asked. Raven had no idea who these authors were. So, unsure but defensive, Raven listed off a few authors she liked.

"H. P. Lovecraft, Bram Stoker, Robert Louis Stevenson, Mary Shelly, J. K. Rowling."

"Oh, we all love Harry Potter, don't we?" Antonia said, the other two nodded in agreement. "Oh yeah."

"I loved Dracula." Said Sarah rubbing her hands together. "It was delightfully creepy."

"Lovecraft is okay, but god, he was prejudice." Lisa said groaning with a disgusted look on her face like she'd smelt socks that hadn't been washed in four days.

"Oh... kay..." Raven said, she was not used to this positive attention but it was kind of nice to socialise. Maybe she would go to this book shop club thing later, after she makes sure Russel and the Doctor are still safe. "I... I might come to the book club tonight. But listen, you might want to get out of here. This place might be dangerous." Raven thought it better to warn them of the 'something' the Doctor was looking for.

"Yeah, if Russel is here I'd want to clear out too." Lisa said, misunderstanding the warning.

"I just want to find the Doc... I mean my Dad and we'll head back." Raven said.

"Oh, we can't leave you out here by yourself." Antonia said, "we'll come with you."

"That won't be necessary, I don't know you." Raven didn't care if she was being rude. Out of the Doctor, Russel and these girls, it was these girls who followed her, crept up on her and were being so friendly that it unnerved Raven. "I'll think about going to the book club."

Antonia shrugged, "Okay, but remember. Russel is bad news, don't go anywhere near him."

"By the way, we don't know your name." Sarah asked.

"I never gave it." Raven let that hang for a few seconds before saying, "I am Raven, Raven Roth."

The three girls smiled. "We'll see you at the book shop at four." Antonia said, "We girls have to stick together, after all." They waved and began heading back down the road, chatting with each other as they went.

 _What the hell was all that about?_ Raven wondered.

Putting that out of her mind, Raven went back to tracking Russel and the Doctor and she tried to catch up with them. Their footprints were easy to follow.

 _I liked those girls._ Said a part of Raven's mind. _They unnerved me a little, but they like books._ _The Doctor wants me to make friends, so maybe I really should go to this book club._

 _You don't need them. They'll just toss you aside and stab you in the back._

Raven groaned. _I'm getting so sick of this, I can't be scared of everyone just in case they'll hurt me, everyone hurts someone eventually. It doesn't mean the friendships that are built end!_ Indeed, when Harry Potter and Ron fell out in the Goblet of Fire. Sure, it was a stressful time and it was over something so stupid, but their friendship was reforged later stronger than before. _Hermoine secretly wanted Ron as her boyfriend, and..._

 _Stop right there!_ Raven knew where that thought was headed, so she killed it before it could be expressed. _Romance is for the weak-minded._ The Demon Girl decided. She didn't know if those girls' words could be trusted, but after realising what prolonged exposure to a boy she liked did to her Raven decided she didn't like it. She'd felt all mushy inside.

Screaming! Raven could hear screaming, and it was coming from behind her where those girls were! Raven turned and took off running. If the girls were in danger then surely the Doctor and Russel would turn up there too.

Following the commotion Raven found the girls. Sarah was grasping her neck, her legs dangling in mid-air as something lifted her up off the floor. That something was totally invisible except for a shimmering outline which betrayed its gigantic bipedal shape. Without reaching out to feel anything herself, Raven could feel something radiating from this beast. Utter, intense, rage!

"Release her!" Raven called at it, but it ignored her. Sarah looked like her neck was going to snap! The creature then swung its other arm in an attempt to grasp one of the other girls. They both panicked and ran away from the lumbering beast, all crying about a big monster. Which frankly, wasn't useful to helping Sarah.

Raven knelt down, picked up a rock and threw it at the monster. The rock passed straight through it, just like the Doctor described, it was semi-material.

Should she delve into her powers? Should she risk the evil within her getting out? Sarah was turning white. Raven decided. Raising her arms and waving her fingers she reached into herself and began to speak her magic chimes.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinth..." suddenly Sarah dropped to the floor, luckily landing in the mud. The thick, gloopy mud which stuck to her clothes and hair. The outline of the creature had also vanished.

"What the hell was that?" Sarah asked.

"Would you believe a mysterious psychokinetic, semi-material, apparition?" Raven said looking around warily.

"A what? Where did it come from?" Sarah said, gasping for breath.

"What part of 'Mysterious' did you not understand?" Raven bit a little."Just go find your friends. I need to find the Doctor." and Raven was off again, she could see a shimmering in the distance, and so she was giving chase.

 _What am I supposed to do once I catch up to it?_ Raven thought briefly, but she was too preoccupied with trying to track it to consider how she was supposed to defeat it.

She was brought to a crashing halt when she ran headlong into someone and they both fell to the ground with Raven landing on top.

"Russel?" she asked.

"I heard someone scream. Are you alright?" He asked as they both got up.

"I'm not a screamer." Raven dusted her arms down. "And where is the Doctor?"

"Your Dad?" Russel asked, "I thought he was following me, but I think that thingy of his got caught on some bushes."

Raven spotted a scuff mark on his arm. "What's that?" she asked.

"I slipped and hit a tree, it's nothing." Raven was instantly suspicious. "Is something wrong? I thought you went back to town."

"I..." Raven was about to argue back when she saw the shimmering creature coming up behind Russel. "Russel, be calm and don't move."

"Why, what is it?" Russel froze.

"Something more dangerous than squirrels," Raven said as she stepped past Russel and closer to the creature.

 _You're not supposed to be using your powers!_ She reminded herself. Russel slowly turned to look, and the creature charged right at them!

 _Oh shit!_

Raven's mind was screaming for her to run, but in the intervening time her mind told her, versus the time it took for her legs to move, Russel had gripped her hand and was already pulling her off the trail and between the trees. Branches snapped, and rustled as Russel waved his arms to clear their path.

Raven saw the Doctor, he was standing off in the distance facing away from them using that scanner device on a bush. He failed to notice the two teens running from an invisible shimmering monster which chased them through the forest. Oddly, the monster made no noise as it lumbered after them, so it didn't attract the Doctors attention. Raven wanted to call out to him, but by the time he took notice Russel, Raven and the Monster were gone.

Raven didn't appreciate being led, nor having her hand took like this, but given the circumstances she guessed she could forgive Russel for being so forward.

Unfortunately, soon they'd ran out of places to run. Laying in front of them was the bend of a river. They couldn't go left, nor right. They were trapped.

"Oh, great going." Raven said more calmly than she felt. "Want to try leading me to safety next time?"

"We're going to have to swim."

"NO!" Raven insisted and pulled her hand from his.

"I won't let anything happen to you. I promise." Raven ignored him and she turned to look for another way out. No way was she going swimming. But it was too late, the monster was upon them and it was going to strike! Raven raised her hands and waved them. It was no good, she'd have to use her powers. She began to mutter her chimes again. "Azarath, Metrion, Zinththo..." then Russel stood in front of her arms spread, shielding her. "...Russel! MOVE!"

Raven heard something within Russel sharply snap. The chilling sound of bone breaking. The boy was flung back into her and the pair were sent flying over the side and into the middle of the river. The deep, deep, dirty river.

Once the water covered over Ravens face flashes of dead pirate corpses with their inky guts spilling out raced into her mind. Raven began to freak out. She couldn't tell which way was up!

Russel was beside her in the water, he could swim, he'd help her! But the unfortunate thing was that he was clearly unconscious and starting to drown himself; _Oh great!_ Raven looked around. _Which way is up? I can't tell!_

Raven clutched her hands to her neck. Already, her lungs were burning to breathe!

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** That bit where the Doctor doesn't notice Raven, Russel and the monster; had this been a tv episode I'd have shot as something comical. Like the camera is focused on the Doctor calming checking the plants with his scanner as he hums to himself calmly, while behind him the hectic chase was on.


	70. Chapter 69, You're NOT funny!

**EDITED [07/01/2020]**

* * *

 **Chapter 69**

 **You're NOT funny!**

* * *

Young Raven woke up at the crack of dawn, ate and dressed in her best robes. She brushed her teeth and was delighted at her reflection. It looked like her skin tone was starting to turn fleshy coloured, or maybe her face just lit up the way it was because she was actually smiling.

She had a friend, someone she could talk to, someone to communicate with, and that's all that mattered to her. Gallrick was just so wonderful and understanding. He was also very calm and cool. Not once did he raise a hand nor his voice against her. She finally had a friend.

The young Raven ran down to the main hall for morning meditations before their breakfast meal. Part of Azarath's customs was that you fasted for a number of hours over the night and only ate once morning meditations were done. It apparently maximised meditation and promoted a healthy body.

When Raven arrived in the meditation hall she looked and looked for Gallrick and his lovely brown hair. But he was nowhere to be seen. Maybe his customs were different. Maybe he ate first and meditated later. But oh well.

Raven adopted her meditation stance with the rest. Though she was in a good mood she made sure to steer clear of three other monks in particular. Andra, a thin faced young female monk. Cal, a serious looking male monk, and Maphalle, another male monk. All were older than Raven and all three didn't like Raven. Not one bit; and Raven didn't know why. In fact, not many fellow monks at the temple liked Raven and she couldn't understand why.

Okay, she was a deathly, pale grey. Okay, she had some strange and unusual ideas and hobbies. Okay, she liked the weird an macabre. But that didn't mean she was a bad person. It just meant she was different. It didn't mean she wasn't worthy of at least a little respect. Or at least just the simple request to be left alone. But no one followed that simple request. It was like they had to make their dislike of Raven clear to everyone, not just herself.

Like it was fashionable to not like Raven.

But Raven could cope with that. She now had a friend. She now had Gallrick.

Gallrick… whom she finally spotted. When Cal, Andra and Maphalle parted themselves and Raven's new friend was sitting with them. They were talking. She kept her eyes on him, but didn't try to attract attention to her. Maybe she should've told him how bad those three were so he'd know they were bad news.

Gallrick caught her eye and gently waved at her. So he hadn't forgotten her. Unfortunately, the thin faced Andra noticed this and looked around. She saw Raven looking. Quickly Raven looked away. She didn't want those three to start bullying Gallrick too just for knowing her. She'll just wait until meditation was over and hopefully Gallrick can get away and come back to see her.

But after meditations it looked like Gallrick went with the three, and Raven felt forgotten.

Little Raven sighed.

* * *

An idea came to Raven as her conscious mind suddenly woke up again. What little air she had in her lungs she blew out and she watched where the bubbles went. Logically, that way was up.

She hooked her arms under Russel's shoulders and began kicking as hard as she could. Her lungs were still burning, she was desperate to breathe and her lungs didn't care that there was nothing but filthy water around her.

Then she couldn't hold it any more. Her lungs gave up and began gulping down water.

That was when something happened. An explosion from underneath her suddenly caught her and forced her to the surface and her lungs gulped down thankful lungs full of fresh, smelly, country air. In her struggles to the surface, she wasn't keeping a lid on her powers, so it had escaped and focused straight down. The blast was enough to fling both her and Russel from the river and into the air. Far too far into the air. They must've been thirty feet up before they began to come down. If they hit the ground from this height then they'd certainly be killed.

Focusing and shaping dark energy Raven produced a trail of darkness ahead of them which they landed on and she used to gently slide down. Unfortunately, she couldn't direct it well and they both just ended up back in the river. Raven was relieved when she felt her feet touch the river bed. It was the shallow part of the river.

Russel was still knocked out, and the monster would surely be on their trail! Raven had to either fight or hide. Both seemed like a good idea so she did both.

There was an overhang in a bend of the river that was eroded out of a rock surface. It wasn't the best hiding place but it was the only good one they could use.

The soaking girl dragged Russel under the overhang. There was so much dried silt in here that it was high and dry compared to the river. Raven laid Russel out on the silt and rested, and waited for any sign of the monster.

It was difficult because of Russels laboured breathing. _Oh shit, his lungs are full of water!_ Raven realised. Thinking back to her experiences in the Land of Fiction where Doctor Davision had rescued her from the water, she remembered the recovery position she was placed in after being revived.

Russel's right leg was lifted, and his right arm was moved across his body to line up with his left arm, and Raven rolled him onto his side. He coughed as water began pouring out of his mouth. Sharply, she slapped him on the back a few times. This helped get the water out, but it was also causing him intense pain. That wasn't normal.

His shirt had rolled up a little at his back, and Raven could see the unmistakable shape of pooling blood under the skin. The creature had broken something.

 _He needs help!_ She realised.

 _But I can't leave him, and if I call out the creature might find us._

 _What about the Doctor?_

 _He might be too far away._

 _I'm going to have to deal with this myself._

 _With my powers? But they're evil._

Maybe she should wait until the creature was gone. But who knows how long that may take. Plus, if the creature found them what was she going to do? Cough on it to death? She'd have to use her powers anyway.

 _Okay, just this one time to heal._

Rolling up his shirt Raven hesitated before she laid her hands on him. She scolded herself for being so silly and placed her hands where the wound was. Activating her powers a little she allowed her aura to connect to his so she could find the damage and repair it.

The kinks in his energy, there were so many of them. Two broken ribs, internal bleeding, a potential infection of the lungs from the dirty river water. Child's play for someone like Raven. The boy yelped in pain a little as his bones snapped back into line, but as they knitted and the superficial damage was healed Raven went a step further and blocked additional pain signals to his brain, as well as force the body to release endorphins. The infection she stopped from latching onto his lungs and with a great push on the last of the river water in his lungs, it all erupted out of his mouth in a spurt. He was breathing normally.

While connected to Russel Raven checked his aura to test out a theory. She was surprised to find he was human. She kind of expected to feel something weird about him. There was a mysterious cavity in his stomach area, but Raven had sensed weird stuff like that before. The body grows differently for each person after all. But what was really weird was his brain. Raven couldn't quite put her finger on it, but Russel's brain felt like it was wired up differently to a normal persons. Raven had no clue what each are of the brain was called nor what it was for, but certain sections were more developed than others, and a few were less developed than normal.

 _He's not brain damaged his_ _he?_ Raven worried. From his aura it felt like there was no damage to his brain, if there was she'd be able to sense it as clearly as lights on a Christmas tree. So his brain was supposed to be like this? The magical mage did not want to attempt to fix something if it wasn't broken, so she left his brain alone.

At least she'd found out her new friend was a human, not a robot or an alien, or an alien puppet of some kind. So sue her, life with the Doctor makes you question the ordinary.

Russel rolled onto his back, clearly shaken from the shock and Raven tilted his head back to clear his airway.

After this Raven got angry.

 _You stupid idiot!_ She wanted to fume, clenching her fists tightly. _I was going to use my powers to shield us, and you had to step in front of the danger. I can handle things myself without you to protect me._ But despite being angry she found herself saying aloud, "But thanks." Not many people she knew would've shielded her. In fact, she just never thought it would ever happen. She was so used to standing on her own two feet, on her own. Russel's help back there was more a hindrance. But Raven did concede that she had no idea if her powers could've stopped the creature's attack, it was 'Semi-material' after all. So perhaps Russel had just saved her life, and gotten a few broken bones for the trouble.

And perhaps something else.

Russel's shirt was rolled up a little at the back. There looked to be some faded, red marks. Russel wasn't bleeding anymore, Raven would've sensed it and fixed it. Those marks must be something else. Gently Raven began to lift up the back of the shirt to get a better look, but before she could get a good look Russel began a coughing fit.

"What happened?" He gasped. Raven placed a finger to his lips.

"That thing might still be out there." Raven whispered, looking out into the river, waiting for some kind of shimmer of its invisible outline, but she couldn't see anything.

Russel felt his head, then his arm snaked down to his wounds, that were no longer there anymore.

"I thought I'd wake up dead." He whispered.

"Not on my watch you're not." Raven said. The air was still. The only sound was the water of the river running across from them. It was rather peaceful, despite the need to hide.

"Thank you." Russel said, realising what had happened and that Raven must've saved him from the water.

"Don't mention it." Was all Raven could think to say.

Russel sat up and gently leaned up against the stone wall of the overhang. Without turning to look at him Raven said, "You should rest."

"I just want to sit up." They both looked out onto the warm summer from this relatively cool overhang. "Any sign of it?"

"No, I think it's gone. But we'll wait a little longer to be sure." Raven said, and she backed away from the summery scene and back towards Russel and sat down next to him.

"I thought you couldn't swim."

"I can't." Raven said, "So kindly don't try to drag me towards the water again."

"I think we may have to. There's no dry land to walk on to get onto the bank." Shit, he was right. "And we don't want to be caught in here if the river rises up."

"Is it likely to do that?"

"Might do. I've come down here before and found this entire section swallowed up with water. I didn't even know this little overhang existed." He turned his head to look at the wall. "But someone did."

Raven looked over and saw carved into the rock a heart with the initials A.R. + R.L in the centre. Raven's gut churned at the sight and the thought of something so mushy.

The demon girl felt like she should say something, but she was drawing a blank.

"This reminds me of the last time I went swimming." Russel said, "Ever been at the pool and suddenly decided you need to use the toilet, so you go to the deep end?"

"I'm sure plenty of people do that." Raven said disinterestedly.

"I got caught by the lifeguard. He blew his whistle so loudly I nearly fell in."

Raven's lips twitched and she rolled them to stop them making the movement they wanted to make in response to the image she now had in her head.

"Funny..." Raven said flatly.

"I actually got banned from that pool." Russel started again, from the smirk it was obviously another gag story.

Raven reached down and scooped a clump of soggy silt in her hand.

"It was stupid, I was being an idiot..."

 _Surprise me._ Raven held up the silt and gave him a look to indicate what she intended to do with it. He noticed but continued on anyway.

"...apparently, the breaststroke wasn't what I thought it was."

And Raven threw the silt at him. He raised his arms to cover his face and it splatted over him as he laughed. Raven scooped up another handful and moved over to him as he continued to laugh. Then Raven's face did something she'd never thought possible. She began to smirk. "Your jokes are shite," she said, the smirk becoming broader, "now eat shite!" and Raven lunged at Russel, thrusting the clumb towards his face. He grabbed her arms and wrestled with her. "I said eat it! You irritating, stupid, pathetic, little human." He continued laughing, and though Raven didn't express it, she couldn't help this feeling of enjoyment. She was actually having fun while doing this. She didn't know why, she was just both angry and happy.

She pressed the dirt to his lips for a second, then he took her arm and removed it. He blew to clear his lips and continued laughing.

"Stop it! Stop laughing! You're not funny!"

"Then why are you smiling?"

"I'm not smiling!" She was.

"You are!" He teased.

"Stop it!" Raven dropped the silt and instead she was on top of him again trying to mash her fists into this irritating boys face. She wasn't doing it very hard and Russel had his arms up to defend himself. Despite what she said Raven kept smiling, she felt so wonderfully normal for a change. "I hate you! I hate you!" She said through childish giggles she never thought possible of her. "Screw you! Screw you! Screw you!"

Russel took her arms and she fell on top of him, her face level with his looking down into his eyes. With the play fighting over Raven tried to force herself and her emotions back into a neutral balance.

"You know, you look both pissed off and happy at the same time." Russel mocked.

"Screw you!" This was a weird situation she'd never found herself in. Laying on top of Russel and with their face's so close together like this. Her lips twitched. Russel opened his mouth as if to...

 _Is he... is he going to kiss me?!_

BANG! It was like a depth charge went off in the water spoiling the moment. Secretly, now that Raven was back in her right mind she felt glad to be out of that awkward situation. She was trying to distance herself from Russel so she'd stop feeling these things. Imagine what might have happened if he had kissed her? What kind of devastation might her powers unleash?

"The hell was that?" Russel asked, spooked.

"A reminder to get moving." Raven said, grabbing Russel and helping him up.

* * *

"You know, I thought I'd broken something." Russel said, Raven remained quiet.

Russel sank into the water and held out his hand for Raven to join him. Gingerly she followed and sank down to her neck. She began to panic.

"Be calm. Like in meditation?" He said.

"Meditation?"

"Yes, ever meditated before? Be calm. The human body is surprisingly buoyant in the water. But if you panic you will sink."

"Now is not the time for a swimming lesson, Russel!" Raven said sharply.

"Take my hand." He said gently. Raven looked at it a little before she gingerly took it. Russel kicked off, dragging Raven with him gently. "Stay calm and try to keep your head above water. Kick your feet and angle your body upwards a little." He said as he led her down the river.

"Stop it!" Raven insisted. "This isn't a lesson!"

"You know, I'd make a river joke, but I don't think it's current." That was it! Raven lashed out and tried to strike him. She dragged at the water trying to pull herself level with him to bonk him on the head.

"Come here, you!" she shouted, "You're not funny!"

She lashed out with her other hand, trying to get him and it was only after he retreated up onto shore did Raven realise something. He wasn't holding her hand anymore, and she was swimming. She was actually floating. Only now that she started to take notice did she begin to sink, so she focused again, and what she focused on was getting to Russel so she could smack him over the head. He just stood there with a pleased look on his face and an irritating grin of satisfaction that Raven was going to wipe off.

Once she was ashore she ran at him in an attempt to strike, but he spun on his heel and began running away from her. He wasn't running very fast, just fast enough to stay out of Raven's hands. Raven kept chasing him, she wasn't going to stop until her fist connected with his head. She reached down, picked up a stone and threw it vaguely in his direction. It didn't even land close to him.

"Come back here!" She shouted, "You are so dead when I get my hands on you!"

"I'll keep my distance, thanks, until you calm down." He laughed.

As she ran it was as if her anger just slowly ebbed away, and she began to laugh a little with him. Until he looked back at her, then her face dropped back down again into a pissed expression.

She still wanted to smack him on the head, but she no longer wanted to murder him.

* * *

Soaking wet and feeling cold the pair made their way back to Devils End. Raven was looking forward to that iron-like device she'd found in the Doctors suitcase so she could fix and dry her clothes. Russel did offer his soggy hoodie as an extra layer. Raven thought it was both sweet of him, but at the same time, she doubted it would keep her any warmer, and would only make him colder. So kind and selfless, but ignorant.

Across a field Raven spotted the Doctors purple beetle driving down the road, the noise its engine made was unmistakable. She called out to it, but it was too far and just drove on. Presumably, he'll have returned to the pub, and so that's where Raven needed to go to catch the Doctor up.

As they'd walked they'd asked the usual questions like "What was that thing? Do you think it's gone? Where did it come from? Should we warn everyone? Should we call the police, or something?" All Raven dismissed because who'd believe that an invisible monster lies in wait in the woods?

After exhausting that conversation it instead moved to a rather sad note for Russel.

"I'm sorry about your sketch pad." Raven had said to him. Once they'd stopped playing chase Russel realised his sketch pad had vanished. He must've lost it in the river, or else dropped it as he ran through the undergrowth.

"It's alright." He'd sighed, he clearly missed it. "I can always get another one."

Raven wanted to go back to look for it, but she didn't want to put his life in danger again just for a stupid book.

When they finally made it back to town they were still soaking wet, and when Raven tried to go back up to the room in the pub the Landlord refused to let her come in while soaking wet. Which was ridiculous! How was she supposed to get dry and get changed?! But the Landlord refused to budge. Worse, the Doctor's car was gone, meaning he was still out. So she couldn't shout up for him to throw down the iron-device to fix herself.

Raven so wanted to use her powers on the Landlord, but she was too cold to be angry. That was until Russel offered to take her to his place to warm through. Raven wanted to say no. But she had limited options.

"Don't worry. The Landlord is just an arsehole." Russel said. "He's like that with everyone. He's banned me from even having a drink in there."

"Why?" Raven asked of him, surely he was old enough to drink? But he paused for too long to answer.

"Doesn't matter." He said with a look like he was forcing something down. Did he look shameful, or was it just sadness?

With nothing better to do Raven followed him to his house with the hope of a warm fire or something. She hadn't forgotten about the creature or the Doctor, but she didn't know where either of them were. Her instincts were to wait in the room until he showed up and confront him about investigating dangerous forces behind her back. Obviously, those plans were out the window.

Hugging herself, Russel approached his house, tried the door, it was locked. So he took out a key and unlocked the door.

"Just one thing. Take off your shoes. My mum will kill me if we tread water on her carpet." He'd said as he reached down and pulled off his own shoes and socks. When Raven had also removed her footwear he pushed open the door and let her inside.

"Mum?" He called out, but no one answered back. He called a few more times but the house was empty. "Wait here a second." He said, carrying his shoes across the living room carpet, hoisting his trousers up to stop him trailing water. Raven didn't mind waiting. She just wiggled her toes in the thick carpet which was slowly warming her feet. "Alright, come through."

Raven did as instructed and saw a stool he'd laid down in front of the fireplace. The stool had a cushion on top with a tea towel over that to stop it getting wet or dirty. He patted it to indicate she should sit down. The boy then turned back to the coal fire and lit it. The fire was small, but over time it began to grow as did the heat it put out.

Cautiously, Raven approached the stool and sat down, holding her fingers out to the fire to feel the slowly growing warmth. She nearly jumped as Russel placed over her shoulders a thick jacket, it was too big for her, but it helped her keep warm. "I'll put your shoes by the radiator." Russel said and she allowed him to take her boots from her hands and he disappeared into a kitchen. Through the door, she saw a slowly boiling electric kettle.

A few moments later he came back with a hot water bottle and a cup of tea. A cup of herbal tea?

"What's this?" she asked.

"Peppermint tea, my mum makes it." Russel said, "You did say you liked herbal teas."

Indeed she had, she'd almost forgotten she'd mentioned it. Russel had remembered though.

"Thank you." Raven said, rather meekly and held the cup in her hand as the fire built.

"I'm just nipping upstairs to change my clothes." Russel said. He picked up a TV remote control and turned the TV on before giving the remote to Raven. "I'd let you use the shower, but the water won't be warm." Raven had no intention of showering in a strangers house, though she did want to wash her hair badly.

Russel disappeared upstairs, and while he was gone Raven experimentally flipped through a few channels on the TV before just turning the thing off. She had no interest in TV, books were more her thing, and indeed there was a bookcase in this room.

When she felt sufficiently warm she stood up and approached the bookcase. His mother or his father was clearly into crime thrillers, there were also books on herbal medicines and remedies. Raven realised that whatever she found down here it reflected his parent's personality, not his own. She wondered, briefly, what his own room was like. She was tempted to look, but that would be rude, and she didn't want to walk in on Russel while he was half-naked.

That image rang for longer in her mind than she liked.

Raven picked out a book about herbal remedies and looked through the index. Instantly, she raised an eyebrow, groaned and put the book back. Any book which suggests drinking Urine to cure a hangover or prevent cancer clearly had questionable ideas.

Raven flipped through other books, but they all peddle similar such nonsense. She, of course, had studied some herbal remedies which actually worked. But Raven knew that the herbal remedies which actually worked became modern medicine. Everything else was a misunderstanding or lacked a crucial ingredient to make it work. In most cases, it was psychic healing abilities, without that most of these herbal remedies were just bowls of fancy potpourri.

Perhaps this is why Russel was a sceptic of supernatural stuff, perhaps his mother believed in all this, but when she tried to teach him he too spotted the problems and thought it was all nonsense.

Looking through the book case once more she also found books about child psychology, all with the logo of a colourful jigsaw pattern on them. She kept looking through them until she came across a book she recognised, and it was oddly out of place on this shelf. Pinocchio, not the same version Raven had, but it was weird to see it here. Raven took the book off the case and opened it up and checked to see what differences there were. It was more a classical take on the story than the version she'd read.

With further digging she came across a bunch of books. Books which featured a certain doomed, four funnelled passenger steamer on the cover, an image that did nothing but to bring back the screaming in her head. The books were titled, 'Secrets of the Abyss, Wreck of a Titan, the Unsinkable Titanic, Lost Voices from the Titanic.' Raven didn't linger on them, but there were more books on the Titanic than she'd liked to see.

After a while, instead of feeling cold and damp she now felt warm and damp. Her shoes were still soggy, so it'd take a while before the Landlord of the pub would let her upstairs.

Russel eventually came down in changed attire. He now wore jeans and a blue shirt and socks. His wet hair had been combed and already it was starting to regain some of its unkempt nature.

"Feeling any better?" He asked.

"After the day I've just had, I've felt better, thanks." Raven said, rather flatly. Putting the book down.

"Hey, where did you find that. I've been looking for it." Russel said picking the book up about Pinocchio, Raven hadn't put it back yet.

"I found it on the shelf." Raven said her eyes looked surprised. "You've read it?"

"It's one of my favourite books." Russel said, "I used to read this over and over when I was a child."

 _We have the same favourite book!_

 _SHUT UP!_

Russel set the book back down again for Raven to continue reading it.

"Why is it one of your favourites?" Raven asked, curious if he liked it for similar reasons.

Russel didn't answer at first, his manner, though calm, betrayed some kind of hidden tension. "I just liked it for the picture on the cover." He said through another smile.

Raven looked at the book. It had no picture on the cover. Her eyes rolled back to him showing a none-amused look.

"Cute." She said, her head cocking a little to one side. "Very cute."

"Do you want anything cooking?" Russel asked her, suddenly changing the subject.

Cooking? That caught her attention. "I didn't know you cooked."

"You never asked." He shrugged. Raven didn't know what she wanted, she didn't even know what he could make.

"Yeah, sure." Raven said, and when he asked what she wanted she said, "Surprise me."

He wasn't gone long. After the long hum of a microwave, he came back with a big bowl full of fries. He'd been so quick he'd clearly just warmed up some oven fries.

"Hey, you told me to surprise you." He smiled a lopsided smile. Raven was just thankful for anything warm, and she was more surprised that he'd remembered another small detail of something she'd told him. That she preferred fries to chips.

"Are you still cold?" He'd asked.

"A little." Raven realised she'd said a little weakly, so she straightened her back so she did not look weak, because she wasn't, she was just cold.

Raven looked at Russel as he sat facing the fire with her. He was cross-legged on the floor eating some fries he had in his hands. For some reason, Raven wanted him to put his arms around her. Well, actually she did and she didn't. It felt like such a normal thing to expect from a boy if he fancies the girl.

That was 'if' he fancied her at all. Did he not feel the same way? That was possible, she might just be thinking silly thoughts, and he might just be doing all this to be nice.

"Is your mom a herbalist?" Raven asked to make conversation, nodding at all the books.

"She's into herbal medicines." Russel shrugged, "I don't believe in them, personally. But it makes my mum happy to make these little remedies of hers. As I said, I stopped trying to understand how they work, because they clearly don't, but mum won't listen." Russel laughed. "I'm amazed sometimes how people will believe a story about... say... a woman who had a headache, so she rubbed a black cat over her head, and the headache was gone the next day." Raven felt like she was being mocked. "But, it causes no harm, so far anyway. People who take herbal remedies still have the good sense to go see a proper doctor and take their advice and medicine."

Raven had to remind herself that he didn't know about her psychic abilities, nor that they existed. That she could make half of those herbal remedies work with her own powers added to the mix. Though she'd agree, the Urine one was taking it too far.

"You know, one of the recipes involves drinking your own urine to cure a hangover and skin conditions." Russel said, he had her attention. "A Pee Remedy! I couldn't believe it when my Mum came up to me and told me to pee in a bottle for her." Quickly, he finished the story, and Raven sensed a punchline coming. "I said to her 'are you taking the piss?' and she said, 'yes I am'."

That was a bad one. Raven just rolled her eyes and softly scowled. He looked at her face and smiled. Did he enjoy annoying her like this? Raven gritted her teeth a little and forced herself to calm down. He'd shown her so much kindness, more than she expected, she can take a little irritation.

"Did you drink it?" Raven asked about the Pee Remedy.

"Nah, when she wasn't looking I tipped it down the toilet." He turned to look at her with a lopsided smile. "Cut out the middle-man."

That one she couldn't help but smile a little at and she had to turn away from him to hide it. Come to think of it, she still hadn't bonked him on the head yet for that river joke, but the time didn't feel right to do it.

"What's with all the books on the Titanic?" Raven asked, she felt in a little more of a relaxed mood to ask the question. Russel looked at the books, then turned back with a sheepish look to his face.

"They're mine. I'm kind of fascinated by it." He said. Raven looked at him like he was insane. Fifteen hundred people died on that ship, and he was fascinated by the event? Okay, in a gloomy kind of way, she was fascinated by it, but only because she'd lived it.

"Why?" Raven asked.

"How can't you be captivated by it?" He asked, "It reads like a Greek legend, only it actually happened. It's like a cautionary tale of mans' hubris. The Titanic was the safest vessel afloat, made of all the modern materials, and engineering, and yet on the night it sank everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. In fact, the disaster had the potential to be a lot worse."

"But it killed people." Raven said, not accusatory, just factually.

"Disasters usually do." Russel said, "Sometimes we need to have big disasters like that, or else something worse might've happened for us to learn the same lessons. Suppose Titanic didn't sink, and ships were made bigger, and bigger, with no change in lifeboat regulations, nor the regulations regarding sailing among icebergs. Eventually, another disaster could've taken its place and even more people could've died." Raven had considered that, hindsight was always twenty/twenty as they say, but it still didn't make the screams in her head any less prevalent. "I have a special connection with the disaster anyway."

"How so?" Raven asked.

"My Great Grandfather survived the sinking by the skin of his teeth." Russel said, "according to mum he'd accepted he was going to die and so went down to his cabin to drink the rest of his life away. He nearly went down with the ship when a pipe fell on him, but someone rescued him shortly before the ship took her final plunge. He got on deck and managed to swim away from the ship before it went down. If he hadn't survived then I certainly wouldn't be here. It was before he fathered my grandmother you see. He only met his future wife, my great grandmother on the Carpathia, the rescue ship." Raven's insides froze at what Russel was telling her. That drunk man she rescued from the Titanic, was it the same guy? It sounded like him. He actually survived the sinking and Raven was looking at the results of that action right now! She didn't know how she felt about this. "He died shortly before the wreck was discovered. Which is a shame. Because he apparently went to his grave saying Titanic had broken in two. Did you know they didn't know Titanic broke in half until after they found the wreck?" Yes, Raven did, and she'd caused it. "My Great Granddad fought people over it for years, he hated the Night to Remember book and movie for omitting that detail. He said he'd probably never have survived in the freezing water if the ship didn't break up." Ravens ears perked up even more now. What did he mean by that? "The wave the stern caused when it crashed down pushed him towards some floating debris he wasn't even aware was there. He climbed on top and because of his intoxicated state he was able to survive in the freezing cold long enough for a boat to come back and pick him up after the Titanic went down. That's why he was so certain the ship had broken up. He thought he wouldn't have survived otherwise. Of course, he also thanked the whisky and showed his gratitude by drinking as much of it as possible in his life." Russel joked. "The baker apparently survived a similar way..."

Ravens mind tuned out as Russel began to talk at length about what was apparently one of his favourite subjects. Part of Raven wished he'd shut up, he sounded like a dork, but her brain was too numb to register that thought as the repercussions of everything slammed into her.

She'd thought she'd done something bad when she broke the Titanic. Okay, it was an accident, but it was strange now knowing that one small accident saved one person. Okay, many people had died when the stern fell on top of them, but they were going to die anyway. One man survived when he wouldn't have, all thanks to her outburst. A man who went on to start a genetic line which resulted in the boy who sat before her. Was Russel even supposed to exist? Raven didn't know. Would the Doctor force her to go back and change it back? Would she even do it if he asked? She thought of this for a second before the answer came. _Hell no!_

But it was like a strange version of that morality puzzle. The one with the out of control train where you had to decide if one person stuck on the track died, or six people stuck on an opposite track died by switching the track over at a crossing point just before them. It wasn't exactly like this, obviously. It was more like if there was another out of control train coming on the opposite line that had six people tied to it. The six couldn't be saved, but if she switched the track she'd kill the six sooner, but save the one person.

God, this was so messed up, and Raven didn't want to think about it now. So she just sat and listened to Russel talk about his fascination with a doomed ship from the 1910's. Though he sounded a little like a geek who knew the subject inside and out, strangely it also felt kind of enduring that, though he didn't skimp on the tragedy of the terrible disaster and the loss of life that had resulted; Russel could see the beauty, the poetry... he could see the 'art' in the tragedy that Raven could not.

She only wished she could too.

* * *

Once sufficiently dry, Raven had to pry herself away from Russel... THE WARM FIRE! She meant, the warm fire! And return to her lodgings. Her clothes were still damp and her boots were ruined, but she was going back to her lodgings now whether the Landlord let her or not.

The Doctors rediculous VW beetle car was still missing. What the hell could the Doctor be doing?

She climbed the stairs, entered the room and instantly she knew the Doctor had been back. His stupid device had been discarded on his bed and he'd gone through his case discarding all kinds of devices all over the desk. He'd clearly left in a hurry again.

She reached into the case and removed the iron-device from before. She stabbed the button and with a blast of warm air she felt her clothes dry off and revert to the condition they were in this morning. Though she'd still need to wash her hair. She was fine with that. She'd just wished they had a bath, not a shower.

She then sat down on the bed and faced the door. _I'm going to wait for him, and then I'm going to kill him!_

What was the Doctor doing that was so secret? She was in total control of her powers. Didn't he trust her? Raven just felt so annoyed at this. She wasn't just going to play the good little girl, when he came through that door he would feel the wrath of a livid teen girl.

She waited for hours and hours in her mood. But the Doctor didn't come, it was the evening, her stomach was growling, and eventually Raven just found her brain failing to remain angry. She relaxed her posture, that up until that moment had been quite stiff and let her eyes and mind wander from the source of her annoyance.

Looking up down and all around Raven was bored again. She'd wished she'd asked Russel if she could borrow some of his books. She'd gladly read another book on the Titanic. It wasn't really sore point to her anymore.

 _I could go back to Russel._ She considered.

 _Later!_ She insisted.

Raven's head tilted to one side. _What was that?_ There was something on the brown carpet. A trail of something. It came from the door to the Doctors case. Raven stood, went to the little specks she could see and dipped her finger in them. They felt like cold, damp pellets.

She snatched her hand back in case they were rat droppings or something. But she reasoned that, unless there were an army of diarrhetic rats marching around it probably wasn't animal waste. She dipped her fingers in it again and picked out a pellet. She'd wash her hands later, she wasn't that squeamish. As she rolled it in her fingers she realised it felt like soil, common soil, icky but nothing to be concerned about. The Doctor probably got himself dirty, rushed back here to get something and ran back out again.

Reaching out for his brain signature, she couldn't pinpoint it, but she felt the waves of his brain lapping against her own. He wasn't in any danger it seemed, but she could feel him stoically trying to keep down a great well of sadness. It felt like he'd lost someone. Like he was at someone's funeral. There was also a drive to do whatever it was he was doing.

Whatever was going on the Doctor could clearly handle it.

Did it have something to do with the Invisible Monster? What was she supposed to do now? Start her own investigations? Why not? She didn't need the Doctor, two could play at this game.

 _You already have your own companion._ She reminded herself.

 _No, it's too dangerous for him to come along. He'd be too much of a distraction for me. Especially with his stupid jokes!_

 _The Doctor has companions._

 _The Doctor is sentimental._ Raven's tongue rubbed against the back of her teeth. _But it would be nice to have company._

She began to think what the monster could be. Some kind of physical manifestation. Possibly a projection of some kind from another's mind. Raven had read about them before. She essentially does it herself when she loses control of her powers. Something manifests. But this was more like personification, a personification of a demon inside someone. There must be someone in the village, someone with the power to manifest their deepest emotions.

It would have to be someone close by, she realised, such familiar like beings can only be summoned at close range. Like a radio controlled car when it eventually goes out of range, it dissipates when it goes too far.

That left six people on her suspect list. Herself, the Doctor, Russel, Antonia, and her two friends. Raven was sure it wasn't her, and the Doctor couldn't do anything remotely like that. That left Russel, Antonia, Sarah and Lisa.

Narrowing it down though was difficult. Because though the creature attacked the girls it also went for Russel too.

Perhaps the person generating it didn't realise they were doing it. Since it attacked Russel and Sarah, likely it wasn't either of them. That left Antonia and Lisa.

Didn't Antonia and her friends say they were meeting at the book club tonight? Raven checked a wall mounted clock. The book club started at four pm they said, and it was quarter to four. Only quarter to four? It felt to Raven like the evening had been dragging so much.

Raven sighed, she still had time. But first she was going to shower and wash her hair. Not because she was trying to impress them, she just didn't want to look like she'd just crawled out from a river.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** Keep in mind, I'm updating the story, so from this point on the story might not make sense as I'm editing it. So please bare with me. The next time the story is updated (sometime after 29/05/2020.) I'll have finished all the edits.


	71. Chapter 70, Antonia, Lisa and Sarah

**Authors notes:** I'm editing this story, so bare in mind, from now on the story might not make sense as I'm editing the second half. The next time I add new chapter to this story the edits for this arc will be completed. So please bare with me on this. If the story has been updated since 29/May/2020 then I've already finished editing.

* * *

 **Chapter 70**

 **Antonia, Lisa and Sarah.**

* * *

Outside the book shop Raven had butterflies again. Not because she was expecting to see Russel again, but because she was expecting to see those girls she'd met in the forest. Antonia, Sarah and Lisa. Raven really didn't want to, but if she was going to be normal then the goth girl guessed one of the fears she'd have to overcome is social interactions.

But that's not why she was here, she had to remind herself. She was investigating, and the best way to gather intelligence was to talk to people. She had to fight the anxiety down and think clearly. _You've read enough books. You should be able to make conversation. Just remember not to upset them._

 _How? Upsetting people seems all to easy._ Raven remembered the rule to never discuss religion or politics. So she'd have to avoid those topics. She spent a good few minutes trying to figure out how she was going to approach this before she realised she was just wasting time.

Taking a deep breath, Raven took the plunge and walked into the book shop. Would they even be here? Especially after what happened at the forest with the Invisible Monster?

At the back where there were bean bags Raven saw Antonia, she waved for Raven to join them. She guessed the monster wasn't enough to put them off.

As Raven approached, she saw Lisa was sitting in a bean bag chair which was sinking so low it might swallow her up. Sarah sat daintily in a yellow bean bag chair, while Antonia sat on a vivid pink one.

"Hi, Raven." They greeted her. "We're so glad you could join us."

There wasn't another bean bag to sit on. Just plastic, children's chairs from the kids section. But there was a cushion on the floor that Raven removed and sat on cross-legged.

"Umm... thanks." Raven said a little surprised. "You're... not scared about that thing in the woods?"

"Nah!" Antonia scoffed, "I explained it all away. It was just toxic woodland gases making us all hallucinate, there are no such things as monsters."

That would have been a sensible conclusion if it weren't for three facts. One, there was a monster. Two, Raven was a monster among them right now. Three, the explanation was just as much a ridiculous idea as there being a monster in the woods. But it explained why they weren't scared.

"What about Sarah struggling to breathe?" Raven asked.

"The gas is toxic, she couldn't breathe it. So she choked. Then she fell to the floor where the air was cleaner." Antonia said.

"But she was floating in the air." Raven was getting a little irritated by this idiocy.

"A simple mirage, making us think she was floating." Antonia said, and spotted that Raven was not convinced. "Don't worry. We're all better now, aren't we girls?" The other two nodded in agreement. Then Antonia leaned forward. "So, Raven, tell us about yourself." Raven was put off by that. The three looked friendly enough, though the brutish Lisa had a sceptical look about her.

"Umm... I was born in a place called Azarath." She began without thinking. "It's in Ireland." She added hurriedly. _But I have an American accent, apparently._ Her brain reminded her. "I grew up in 'the States' but I recently moved to England."

"Wow, you've travelled a lot. More than Sarah has." Antonia teased Sarah.

"Majorca is lovely." Sarah said in a dignified voice, "Why go anywhere else?"

There was a pause as the attention went back to Raven. She really didn't feel comfortable. The atmosphere wasn't creepy or threatening, she just wasn't used to this.

"I left my mother in Azarath, and I've been travelling around with the Doc... my... my Dad." Raven said.

"What does he do?" Antonia asked, genuinely interested.

"Lecture people, mostly." Raven smiled at her little joke. "He's a doctor. A scientist." The girls looked impressed.

"Mine is a doctor too," said Sarah, "But he's a proper doctor."

"She means an M.D. not a P.H.D." Antonia added. Sarah did sound a little 'posh' -the word was for upper-class-, compared to the other two.

"We travel around in a junk heap." Raven said, again a personal joke at the TARDIS's expense.

"You mean that old bug?" Lisa asked, "The purple one? God, how can you stand being in something so tiny?" Raven glanced at Lisa and looked at her wide girth, a million and one responses entered her head, but she kept them down. It wasn't worth it just to defend a stupid car.

Raven continued to tell them about herself, it wasn't all nonsense, it was all half-truths but they seemed to swallow them up easily. Maybe a little too easily. As for the other girls, they were all born in this area, Antonia was a single child who lived in an orphanage for most of her life. Sarah was a posh girl who lived with rich parents and originally went to a private school. Lisa used to work on a farm with her family, she was expected to help out with a lot of the heavy lifting since her parents hadn't sired a son. Hence her brutish exterior. There was some underlying tone to her voice which told Raven that things were not all sunshine and rainbows in her family.

Listening carefully, Raven tried to hook onto something, anything, which might indicate a connection to the Creature from the forest. So far Antonia living in an orphanage might indicate resentment and anger. After all, who likes to be an orphan? Lisa on the other hand sounded like there was some unhappiness there. Sarah was rich, what did she have to be in turmoil about.

But it wasn't obvious who might be conjuring that creature. Raven disconnected from the conversation to think. Maybe she'd be able to detect any residual psychic abilities from who she was looking for. But a quick scan of their aura told her none of them had residual psychic powers. Though a couple had potential that told Raven nothing. Most people had potential, but not the mind to use the power, and when they did the best they could do was move a few air molecules around. But that still didn't dismiss them. Sometimes dormant powers had the same signature of low usage.

"What do you think, Raven?" Raven was snapped back to attention when Antonia spoke.

"Huh?"

"You're very quiet. What do you think about the relationship between Ron and Hermione?" They were talking about Harry Potter.

"Umm... I think..." _Which answer won't make them hate me?_ "I think, they make a good couple?" That seemed to make them nod and agree. Raven didn't think that at all. She couldn't see what a girl like Hermione would see in an immature dweeb like Ron. In her mind, Hermione didn't need a love interest. She didn't need anyone but her books.

 _That's only because you see yourself as Hermione._

 _SHUT IT!_

Sarah was talking. "I personally don't see what she sees in Ron. I prefer Harry."

 _Well, you're not Hermione, not everyone thinks like you._ Raven wanted to say, but she bit her tongue.

"I like Neville." Said Lisa, "He becomes such a powerful guy."

"Malfoy." Antonia said, "I think Tom Felton is hot."

 _Who?_ Raven wondered. _Is this what young girls usually talk about?_ Raven kind of felt disappointed. She wanted to talk about deeper subjects. The nature of magic, the mysteries of darkness and the universe. She wanted to talk philosophy, alchemy. Something interesting. But the girls just kept talking about... well...girly stuff.

Raven did try to steer the conversation back to them and their personal lives. Desperate for something to indicate deep trauma. She picked up on how the girls were asking questions. Questions like, "Have you ever tried this, or have you ever done that. etc." and so Raven decided to ask one herself.

"What... is the most traumatic experience you've ever had?" The girls looked a little taken aback, but intrigued.

"I was riding a horse once." Lisa started, "I was young and my dad wasn't supposed to let me ride it. But I fell off, got caught in the reins, the horse took off, dragged me across the ground." Raven, Antonia and Sarah listened, utterly horrified. "The horse jumped over the hedge and stopped. It was a good thing too, because if he'd kept on I'd have been pulled into the blades of the harvester. It wasn't running, but I'd have been impaled." Not exactly what Raven was looking for, but that was a close call for Lisa.

"When I was ten." Lisa said, "While at the beach my family drove off without me and forgot I wasn't in the car. They were so used to me being quiet that they didn't notice I was missing until they got to the petrol station, twenty miles away." Okay, that was more like it. Not that Lisa's experience wouldn't be traumatic, but what Raven was looking for was more a deep betrayal of trust, and your parents forgetting you and leaving you on a strange beach was a start.

Next was Antonia.

"In my Orphanage, the woman in charge was a nasty, manipulative piece of work. She was called Grettle. She usually got a government grant if the place was being ran properly. So whenever the inspection came she'd clean the place up and threaten us to be happy while the inspectors were here, or else." Now this was more like it.

"Did they ever find out?" Sarah asked.

"No, but I got her into trouble." Antonia grinned, "I broke into her bedroom and while she entertained the inspection team I made sure to hide a stash of cigarettes under her bed. Then I gave some out to the kids pretending they were candies. I then lit up. They caught me smoking, asked where I got it from and I told her Gretta gives them to us and pointed in the direction of the hiding place. She was fired shortly after that. I'm surprised it worked."

Now this really was more like it. Raven thought, perhaps a little too excitedly. Trauma caused by abuse in an orphanage. Perfect grounds for psychic powers to slip out.

"What about you Raven?"

 _Shit, I have to share now._ She felt her face start to glow a vivid red. What trauma could she say? Her abuse at the Temple on Azarath? Watching Armstrong be devoured by Cyber-nano's? Feeling the Doctors wrath? When her friends in the Land of Fiction turned on her? Having her perfect life destroyed by some selfish bitch who wanted to control her? The time she nearly committed suicide? Her failure to save Kasey? When she fell for Gallrick and...

Raven decided to go for something that painted herself sympathetically, but not pathetically.

"I... my... my uncle, Uncle Kasey..." and she described his depression, how she'd tried to help, about how she'd failed.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Antonia said, placing a hand on top of Ravens. Raven looked at it like one might look at an intrusive insect, but let it slide. "Was it quick for him at least?"

"I think he's finally at peace." Raven said.

As the evening wore on Raven began to relax more around the girls, though her social skills meant any information gathering was difficult. But mostly they talked about books. They didn't have any interest in romance novels either as it turned out. Raven decided she liked these girls more and more. But then came a turn in the conversation when Antonia said.

"Hey, look what I found in the forest." From her little bag she produced a book. A sketchbook. It was Russel's sketch pad!

"You've got Russel's drawing book!" Sarah exclaimed.

"Yeah," Antonia said, letting the book fall open. "I bet he's drawn some really weird shite in here."

The three girls bunched up to look at the book. Raven didn't need to, she'd seen the book already.

"Wow, he's actually become very good." Sarah said, a twinkle in her eye.

"I've seen better." Antonia dismissed, flipping through pages.

"Hey, there's Miss Flavershum, my old teacher." Lisa chortled. "She actually looks old and crusty in that!" Antonia turned another page and the three girls froze.

"Oh, how sweet of him." Sarah said with a nasty tone to her voice Raven couldn't understand.

"You mean 'what a creep'!" Antonia said, "He barely knows her." They all looked at Raven.

"What?" the goth girl asked, feeling a tad uncomfortable. The girls turned over the book to show Raven.

Russel had been drawing her! The picture was in the back of the book. It wasn't finished, her body, arms and hair had only been roughly sketched out, but most of the attention had been given to her face. The picture had a frown which looked, not upset but bored. The expression was altered however by her eyes. Cold, dark, and attentive, yet he'd somehow gave them a hidden life and warmth to them, as if reflecting a hidden person inside.

"He's made you look like an 'up-yourself' kind of girl. Stiff, and bored as hell, like you're already dead!" Lisa growled a little. "What an arsehole!" That's not how Raven saw it, was that Russel's intention? To make her look stiff, up-herself and bored? Was she just seeing more in the drawing because it was of her?

"I don't think that's how you're supposed to view it." Raven said a little defensively of herself, and a little of Russel. After all, Russel had been nice to her. Sure he'd mocked her a little, but he was mostly complimentary about her appearance.

Antonia snapped the book shut. "That's what some people are like." She said with a hint of bitterness. "You don't see how nasty they really are until it's too late." Antonia put the book back in her bag. Raven eyed it as it vanished. _That belongs to Russel!_ "You have to read between the lines with such people so you can tell who they really are."

"Yeah, you want to talk about trauma, just look it in the dictionary and it'll say, 'Russel, the cause of.'" Lisa said.

"Me and Lisa used to go to school with him." Antonia said. "When we first met him, he decided he didn't like us. We didn't know why, but one day he just came up to us and hit us."

"Yeah, then he mocked us for just being 'silly girls.'" Lisa scowled at a memory, "and me for being fat. So we hit him, and like a big baby he ran away crying." That didn't sound like Russel. From what Raven had seen Russel was mostly gentle. A little 'awkward' perhaps, but not mean or nasty.

"Yeah, he has an anger management problem, he always gets angry at his girlfriends." Lisa said, "I reckon his mum abused him or something, so he resents all girls." Antonia nodded as if it was a fact.

"He hurt Sarah, too." Lisa added, "Tell her, Sarah."

Sarah looked taken aback at being asked to speak.

"We met in college." Sarah said, "We started going out. I was enchanted by his drawings, his sense of humour, he had such a passion to him. Antonia and Lisa tried to warn me about him, but I didn't listen." Sarah sounded like she was giving a warning to Raven. "Then, one dark night, he did... something and I had to smack him." Through Sarah's body language Raven was getting the hint of what Sarah was trying to get across. "He just slinked away after that."

"Yeah, like the worm he is." Lisa spat. The spark of dislike in the air was almost crackling.

Raven was sure what she was hearing wasn't the Russel she knew, at all. But the anger Sarah was saying all this with, the anger within her made it difficult for Raven not to believe her. But then, Russel had plenty of chances to 'take advantage' of Raven while down by the river, and he'd kept his hands to himself. Raven, said this.

"It would've been a matter of time." Sarah said. "Thank goodness we got you away from that dreadful boy before anything happened to scar you for life."

 _If he tried anything like that with me, I guarantee, he'd be the one scarred for life._ Raven thought darkly.

For the rest of the evening, the girls just chatted, had cake, and tea, and 'biscuits' and just talked, and talked, and talked. They started talking about something called 'Disney movies' and Raven had no idea what they were.

Weirdly, Raven again felt like a girl, only a girl with friends. Not made-up friends, nor fictional ones; but proper, real friends. She also felt like she was getting the hang of this 'conversation' thing.

Her mind briefly went back to Russel. He was a little like that short boy from the Land of Fiction who stood up for her. What was his name again? Gar... something or other. But he was only fiction, a fantasy of her deluded mind, Russel was real.

Raven gently sighed. It felt nice, but no, she refused to develop any form of attachment to Russel. Just because he was similar to the boy from her fictional life it didn't mean he was exactly like him. Best to just forget him. Just forget him.

Forget.

* * *

"Half a pound of ground up bone mead. Three petals from a weed. Fifty litres of pure water." Young Raven muttered as she added the ingredients to the bowl. To say Raven was annoyed was an understatement. She'd lost her friend to three people who hated her. No doubt they filled his ears with sweet little lies about her, and he'd just believed them.

Maybe she shouldn't have been too open about herself. Maybe she'd shared too much too fast and it overwhelmed him. Maybe she showed him something that made him take a step back and wonder if it was worth being friends with her. Then those three swooped in and painted a different view of her.

If there was one thing Raven was aware of, it was that people will always listen and believe complete strangers when they pointed and called someone 'nasty,' 'weird,' or 'evil'. It didn't matter what the person was like, public opinion would still call her evil. Showing him her collection of dead spiders probably didn't help matters.

 _The next person I meet I'm going to be a little more reserved._ She decided as she sprinkled salt into the mixture.

She really wasn't supposed to be practicing this stuff. It was considered evil. But Raven was curious. She didn't believe this type of magic was evil, what was wrong with Dark Magic? Were the elders scared of it just because they didn't understand where it came from? That they couldn't do it? That it was more powerful than they could handle? Considering the treatment Raven got she did wonder if everything they pointed and called evil was just misunderstood.

This spell was just a weakening spell. Once cast it'd slowly sap the magical strength of whoever came into contact with it by blocking out the signals to their charkas. The book she had in her possession was filled with dark magic spells. She'd snuck the book out from under the librarians nose, and through all the magical alert spells. The one thing about being utterly alone is that Raven had plenty of time to practice her powers and her spells. No one suspected a ten year old of being able to do this stuff.

There was a danger warning in the book that the spell had to be corked and bottled and kept sealed for 14 hours or else the unfinished mixture would cause intense, mind numbing pain. Raven had made potions before, she was careful with it. With the mixture finished she funnelled it into a bottle and corked it. It should be sickly green, but right now it was a dark purple. Raven kind of liked the shade but it was just wrong. She guessed she'd need to practice a little more. Whatever this did she didn't know. Tipping the bottle it looked more like weapons-grade sludge.

Raven was being so careful to pour the stuff and not get any on her that she nearly dropped everything when she heard a knock on the door. Fearing discovery she cried, "Just a second," and quickly finish pouring. She corked the bottle and put it on her dresser. The best place to leave it was probably in plain sight, especially considering it looked just like purified wormwood. A useful ingredient in a common spells, so she labelled it as such and just put it in the corner of her dresser. Along with all the other potions she was not supposed to brew and were labelled up wrong. Yeah, this wasn't her first dark magic spell. She then hid the book itself and stacked the cauldron in such a way to suggest she had left it in that state for a few days without cleaning it. She'd get a scolding for not taking care of her equipment, sure. But it'd be better than if they found her brewing a dark potion.

"Hello Raven." It was Gallrick! He'd come back!

"Gallrick?" Raven asked, "I thought… never mind." She stepped aside and invited him in. The young girl smiled and laughed nervously as he swept in, his own, black cloak billowing out behind him. Raven shyly hunched her shoulders to hide herself and make herself look smaller.

Gallrick was distracted by the still damp cauldron in the corner. He seemed rather quiet. Maybe he was shy too.

"Can... can I get you something?" Raven asked, she had plenty of water, all clean, mostly used for potions. Or there were snacks she'd snuck away from the table.

"I'm fine thanks." Gallrick said, "I just want to meditate." Raven was happy to.

They both adopted the lotus position, facing each other, and together they began to meditate.

Clear minds, all anxiety flushed away. Just blankness and calmness. After ten minutes Raven began to notice something was wrong. She couldn't sense Gallrick, at all. Was he suppressing his presence? Why would he do that?

Raven opened her eyes to check. Gallrick was on his feet and inspecting the bottle she'd just corked. What the hell was he doing?!

"No, don't!" Raven screamed as Gallrick pulled the cork out.

There was a flash of darkness as smoke erupted from the bottle like a genie from a lamp. Gallrick tried to scream, but his voice was cut off by the smoke. When it cleared Raven was horrified to see the black material all over his arm as it began to eat away the flesh from his bones. He tried to move, but Raven could feel he was in too much pain. He stumbled and went for the door. If someone found him then Raven would be in dead, dead trouble.

Gallricks pain receptors were so lit up by the spell that he couldn't stop Ravens powers from paralysing him and rooting him to the spot as well as paralysing his tongue so he couldn't scream. He was now frozen, and in great pain.

"Please, don't panic." Raven said, "and don't worry." She began to work her own healing abilities to numb the pain, then pulled the book across the room to her waiting hand to search for the counter jinx to heal him. "I can fix you." She ran her fingers through her hair in a panic as Gallrick's blackened arm began to bubble, "I can fix you. I can fix you!"

 _Oh God, I hope I can fix you!..._

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** I am going somewhere with this, so hang on. ;)

The next update might take a while because I'm currently scratching my head about how to execute it.

Cheers


	72. Chapter 71, The Stars

**UPDATED 24/Jan/2020**

* * *

 **Chapter 71**

 **The Stars**

Raven hadn't felt so content than when she'd been with her fictional friends in the Land of Fiction. She didn't need friends, but they were just so nice to have. The demon girl tried to be pleasant and sociable with these girls, but the girls didn't seem to mind her shyness, or was it arrogance? A type of silent arrogance? She thought this because the three girls sometimes said stuff she really didn't agree with and wanted to call it out. But she was supposed to be digging for clues and she'd not get anywhere if she ended up upsetting them by getting into a debate. Personally, she was ready for a debate, but experienced told her people generally were not happy to be challenged, or to see another perspective.

This was the third meeting she'd gone to and she enjoyed every one of them, and every time she got a little more information about which one of them could be generating the creature. Though the Doctor said the creature had, "weirdly, gone to ground, for now." So, Raven just enjoyed herself with her new friends.

Raven got the feeling her presence, her cold eyes somewhat unnerved them. The three were quite girly, a lot more so than Raven herself. But again, they were respectful of her. Part of that put her on edge, wondering if she was some sort of sacrificial lamb? But she was relaxed enough that it appeared that they accepted her.

Raven had told them about one of her favourite books. The 'Adventures of Dr. Kingdom', a book about a female explorer of far off dimensions and strange places. A book Raven knew full well was published in this era of history. Indeed, the girls had heard of it. However, they expressed that they didn't like the final product.

"They're alright, but I mean, that bit where she had a choice, to either save her lover or save her best friend." Sarah said. "Personally, I'd have saved my friend. I mean, I nearly saw myself in that character up until that point, then I decided I didn't like her."

"Umm... she's not supposed to be you." Raven countered, trying to keep the irritation from her voice. "She's her own character." The fact that Dr. Kingdom didn't act the way Sarah wanted her to just meant that Sarah was not the character she thought Dr. Kingdom was. She was someone... Raven searched for the word... 'complex'. But Raven dare not share that thought in case Sarah took it to mean Raven thought she was simple. People were strange like that, they infer meaning where there is none.

"A real woman would've saved her friend." Sarah then said. Raven raised an eyebrow. That was a rather generic statement to make. What in the hell? So Dr. Kingdom was not a 'real woman' for acting the way Sarah personally wanted? Again, Raven did not call this out.

They moved onto other books. Like the Shadows of Vlad. A collection of fictional short stories about a powerful, and evil man from a much larger book series. Antonia was telling them about one where one of Vlad's servant girls who, despite just being a low-class servant girl, fell in love with the mighty Vlad himself. But when she went to confess her feelings for the man while he was alone in his room he'd stabbed her in the heart before she even finished confessing her love.

Raven felt like she was going to be sick, more talk about that icky 'love' thing.

"Why did Vlad do that to the girl?" Antonia sounded upset.

"Because he's the bad guy." Raven said slowly.

"Yes, but that was just so..."

"Evil?" Raven suggested, Antonia nodded. "That's kind of the point of his character. And anyway, it clearly explains Vlad was trying to push away memories of his old wife who he was trying to forget. Vlad was reminded of her when the girl came to him. So he stabbed her in the heart because he didn't want to feel love again."

"But she loved him!" Antonia was giving Raven a look she didn't understand. Was it hostility?

"That didn't matter to him." Raven shrugged. The demon girl recognised that she was upsetting the human girl, so decided to stop talking about it. Raven was wondering if Antonia saw a little of herself in the servant girl and projected herself into the role, and was just mad that things didn't work out the way she wanted. Same with Sarah and Dr. Kingdom.

Though they disagreed like this, for the most part, they agreed that Harry Potter was awesome, Lord of the Rings was 'okay.' Lewis Carol was pretty good. The one thing Raven refused to budge on was her position on the 'Twilight Saga' which should be all be burnt in a dumpster fire, and later the ashes collected and mixed with quick-drying cement. But again, Raven did not want to upset them so instead her mind wandered. She scanned the room they were in until she came upon a poster. It was a silly, childish rhyme but oddly had it's roots in magic.

'Girls are made of Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice.' _What does that make me, I wonder? I'm probably made of 'Spiders, dead fruit, and the eyes of a newt.'_

Under that was the rhyme about boys.

'Boys are made from Slugs and Snails and Puppy-dogs tails.'

 _Bugs, and Nails, all measured with Scales._

 _Mint, and cinnamon, thrown into the batch,_

 _Mix and stir to..._ It was that rhyme she'd heard echo inside her head while she was in the TARDIS zero room? Did that have something to do with this?

Shrugging, she returned back to the book club and her thoughts went back to the girls, who continued on talking excitedly about the main character in the Twilight book, some guy called Edward.

They didn't look that annoyed with Raven when they asked what she thought of the books and she gave them her honest opinion. Despite her disagreement they still included her in the conversations, asking what she thought about 'this book' or 'that book'. Though outwardly she looked a little sad, inside Raven was in her element. She even allowed a little smile to creep onto her face.

Once the evening was over Raven returned to her lodgings again and slept well that night.

* * *

The Doctor revealed his new method of tracking down the creature. Still outside the pub, one morning he'd popped open the bonnet of his car, instead of an engine, -which was in the back in this car, thank god, she didn't know if she could stand that racket it makes being in front of her- instead of an engine there was a large computer bank. The car's ariel extended upwards to at least two stories tall and the machine began to emit a lot of clicks and buzzes. Looking at the controls on it Raven realised it looked like a panel from the TARDIS console, or one of the old ones, which had been gutted and placed in there.

"It is." The Doctor confirmed, "waste not, want not." He said as he fiddled with some controls. "This panel used to be part of the original console. It's the scanning controls. If any anomaly should show its face then it'll let us know."

"What about?" Raven was about to ask.

"Don't worry, I've keyed it so it won't pick up on anything on your wavelength." The Doctor said.

"No, what do we do when we find it. How do you stop it?" Raven asked. She knew a lot about throwing psychic powers, but little about defending yourself from them, and she was confident there was no defence against hers. Sadly, as always, the Doctor had a plan.

"Elementary, my dear, Raven." The Doctor said and he produced, as if by magic, in his hand a dark, blue, glowing rock.

"A glow stone?" Raven realised, it had been a long while since she'd seen one of them. All the way back to their battle with the Shaydes.

"Very good." The Doctor smiled, "I knew these might come in handy one day."

"Against me?" Raven asked fixing the Doctor with a look.

"Oh no, no, no, no, no." The Doctor quickly dismissed, "if I wanted to do that I'd use Calufrax crystals. Small, green shards. They block psychic abilities much more effectively." The Doctor reached under the hood of the car and wired a glow stone into the computer.

 _Mental note, be on the lookout for green crystal shards._ Not that Raven didn't trust the Doctor now, but he seemed to be the slippery sort who had a plan for any eventuality that he'd clearly see coming, including Raven's possible betrayal.

"There!" The Doctor announced, he'd wired up the crystal into a control and that section of the control bank lit up. "Perfect." He smiled getting up and dropped the hood of the tin can car back down with a clang. "The creature won't be able to manifest in town so long as that remains operational."

"Or someone steals the car." Raven concluded.

"Or if someone stea..." The Doctor nearly echoed but caught himself. "Thank you for that sunny disposition."

"I'm just pointing out an obvious flaw. You seem to keep missing them." Raven mocked, "if it wasn't for me you'd run out of milk."

"Of all the things the TARDIS can't replicate it had to be the key ingredient to a good cup of tea." The Doctor sighed. He did have a point, TARDIS replicated milk never tasted right. Apparently, it couldn't formulate the lactose molecule correctly, and when it could the milk was stale already.

"Right then," the Doctor said, "you have a date with the girls, don't you?"

"Yeah, more investigating." Raven sighed, trying to convince the Doctor that she felt this was more a chore for her, when it actually wasn't.

"At least you're making friends." He commented.

"Sure. I'll be back by middnight."

"You'll be back by nine, young lady." The Doctor said in a joking tone.

"And you're not my dad," Raven said back. Not the wittiest response, but it was all she could think of.

Technically, the book club ended at nine o'clock. But Raven had another date to meet. Despite telling herself that she did not want to see Russel again, for some reason her brain kept egging her on to go see him again, and again.

Like this morning, she'd bumped into him by mistake, and despite knowing what she knew she was still civil with him. He had a camera around his neck and an excited air to him.

"What are you doing?" Raven had asked coldly, but curiously.

"I'm going back to the woods today to find that creature." He'd said.

"Are you nuts?" Raven's voice raised above her usual monotone, showing concern.

"No one is going to believe us unless we can show them proof that it exists." Russel said, activating the digital camera to ensure the batteries were still charged. "It might hurt someone otherwise."

"Russel, no!" Raven commanded. He should leave it up to her and the Doctor to sort out.

"Why not? I'll be fine, I promise." Russel said with a confidence that Raven found attractive, but it also gave her a cold fear. He was going to get himself killed.

"Russel, no!" She didn't care what the girls said of him, he still didn't deserve to rush off to his death like that. He was going to disagree again, she could tell. So she reached out and took his jaw in her hands and squeezed it. "Listen to me, you're going to get yourself killed. If you're going to promise me anything, promise me you'll stay out of this. Okay?" He didn't answer at first. "OKAY?!"

"It's nice to see that you care." Russel said.

"I just don't want you to get yourself killed." Raven dismissed, and she released him. "Don't worry about the creature. The Doc... my Dad's looking into it." She said, looking over at the pub. It wouldn't hurt to reveal a little about herself if it stopped Russel looking for the creature. "My Dad is like an investigator, he researches the 'strange and unusual'. He's already looking into it." Raven knew the look Russel was giving her and knew exactly what he was about to say. "NO! You can't help us. It's too dangerous."

"Fair enough." Russel sighed, "but do you want to do something tonight?" Alarm bells rang off in Raven's head.

"You mean like go see a movie?" Raven found herself asking instead of dismissing him.

"A movie cinema? Here?" He laughed, "Yeah, sure. Maybe we could go bowling at the local bowls club." Raven had no idea what he was talking about. "No. I mean I'm going to do some star gazing tonight. It's going to be clear, and it gets so dark you can see the milky-way."

Star Gazing was appealing to her. It was like in arithmancy when you studies the stars in order to predict the future.

"I'm free at nine tonight."

"It won't be dark until ten."

"I'm still free at ten."

"Cool. I'll see you at ten then. You know where to find me." He smiled, and then left.

 _Wait, what just happened?_ Raven questioned.

 _I think we've agreed to a date._

 _Oh, shit!_

* * *

And now here she was, just wrapping up the book club and now making her way to Russel's house. The conversation had gone so fast for her she didn't get a chance to think and turn it down. She could also just walk away and ghost him, but again her brain told her to do one thing, her instincts told her to do another.

Knocking on the door, Raven was greeted by a rather large woman with an open friendly face. For some reason, Raven was put in the mind of hansel and gretel.

"Oh, you must be Raven!" The woman said cheerily. "Russel, your friend's here!" She shouted upstairs. "Come in out of the cold, deary. Can I interest you in a cup of tea." Raven was shocked a little at the womans friendliness. This was apparently a British thing, but she still wasn't used to it.

"Umm, Green Tea, please."

"Oh, we've got plenty of that, love." The woman said, ushering her into the living room. "Sit down. I'm Maggie by the way." In the living room where two other people. One was a cheery faced old man smoking a pipe. Russel's dad presumably. He looked friendly enough. The other was a heavyset man. He looked like Russel, but was older, had more muscles, and a shaved head.

"Oh, Russel has a girlfriend does he now?" His eyes squinted together in a smile Raven did not like, it made him look like a pig. Raven took a seat as far away from him as possible.

"So, you're this, Raven girl we've heard so much about?" The older man asked with a hint of sternness, which dissolved into a friendly expression. "I'm Gerald. That over there is Sean, our eldest son."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Raven said, glancing at Sean but making sure to give him a look to show she wasn't interested in him. Perhaps Sean didn't understand because she could see him scanning her with his eyes.

"'Russel Bussel's' got quite a catch!" He said smiling, in an attempt to be complimentary, but Raven felt more uneasy.

Maggie came back into the living room carrying a tray of mugs. One was handed to Raven, a cup of brown and green liquid. "Russel will be ready for you in a second deary." She said, "He's getting his telescope ready."

"Russel's always into geeky stuff, why can't he play rugby or football like me?" Sean said, flashing Raven a glance while flexing his muscles a little. Raven rolled her eyes at the display.

"I think he's seen the results, Sean." Maggie joked. Raven didn't understand the context but Sean instantly shut up about it. To Raven, Sean seemed to match more the idea of what Antonia, Sarah and Lisa thought Russel was like. Could they have gotten the two mixed up?

The parents began to ask her questions, which again, she was not used to, when Russel finally came down the stairs with his telescope in his arms. The telescope was quite a big thing!

"Hey, Russel. Don't bother, it's broken." Sean said, "I couldn't see anything through it last night and when I looked inside all the innards were gone." The big guy sounded serious.

"Yeah, I noticed." Russel said, twisting the top of the telescope to set it back. "You're supposed to select an eyepiece to look through, and the telescope is supposed to be hollow. It magnifies with mirrors. Did you expect some kind of complicated electrical gubbins to be inside it?"

"Yeah, and I thought it was something actually clever, not something so simple." Sean said, mocking.

"And yet, despite it being something simple, you weren't smart enough to get it working." Russel fired back. "If you looked down into it, you'd see the reason why it wasn't working staring straight back at you." Sean's face paused and looked like it took a while for him to realise he'd been insulted. He kept a cocky smile on his face, almost fainting ignorance of the quip in an attempt to look cool, but it just made him look dumb.

Gerald got up and helped his son through the doors with his telescope. Raven, not wanting to spend another moment in this room, went to join Russel in the back garden.

"Rember son, to..." Gerald began, but Russel waved him away.

"It's alright dad, I know what I'm doing." He began adjusting the apparatus. The older man then leaned into Russel and whispered something in his ear. "Dad, seriously?!"

"I'm just saying." The old man said. Russel glanced at Raven, then back at his dad as he walked past her, a smile on his face showing he'd done his parental job of embarrassing his son, and returned to the living room and his newspaper.

The back garden was quite large. It had a couple of trees in it and in the corner a shed. The door was open and Raven could see the shed was filled with carving tools and lumps of wood, all in various stages of being shaped. Russel's dad must be a carpenter of some kind.

Raven watched as Russel set up the telescope. It was like watching the Doctor pilot the TARDIS. He checked charts and signs and stuff and re-aligned the telescope. He then set some kind of motor on it in motion before settling back on a blanket in the grass.

It was still too light but already Raven could see a smattering of stars here and there in the darkening blue sky.

"You can sit down, you know." Russel said, patting the space next to him. Raven indulged him and sat down, looking at the telescope, and up to where it was pointing. Empty space.

"We should be tracking Venus in the night sky." Russel said. "According to Patrick Moore at least."

"I didn't know you were a stargazer." Raven said impressed.

"You never asked."

 _Artist, Cook, stargazer? What else can he do?_ Raven wondered.

"See those stars over there?" He pointed to a grouping of stars which had begun to fade into existence. "That's Orion. Or the Hunter. You can see it's stars, Meissa, Bellatrix, Betelgeuse, Anlitak, Alnilam, Mintaka." He pointed at each of the main stars. "Saiph and Rigel must be below the horizon."

Raven was aware of the constellations, they were a part of her magical training. So, not wanting to be outdone she pointed at some other stars which were just fading into view. "Tarurus," she pointed just above the Orion constellation, then to it's left, "and Gemini!"

"My star sign." Russel laughed. "I didn't know you were a stargazer, too?" Russel said, impressed.

"There's a lot you don't know about me." Raven said mysteriously, by the smile on his face she could tell he liked the 'mystery girl routine' so she had an additional reason to keep it up.

"Is that part of your religion?" He asked.

"Sort of," Raven said, "if the books are to be believed," meaning, what they actually said and were true, "certain magical spells can be more effective when the moon is in certain House's"

"Astrology?" Russel said with an edge that was slightly mocking, but slightly interested.

"I know you don't believe in that stuff." Raven said flatly.

"I don't know." He smiled, "I can feel one spell you're casting."

 _Is he flirting? What do I DO?!_

 _Flirt back!_

 _But I don't want to. This relationship is impossible!_

"Please, stop." Raven said across him. Russel looked a little taken aback.

"I..."

"No, stop. This... this can't work!" Raven said, the tension was unbearable.

"Why?"

"Because... because I don't like you!" She said, "Not in that way..." She lied, "I... I... think you're arrogant, I think you're annoying, I really don't think you're funny!" Raven stalled for a second before saying, "Your brother is a creep!"

"Not much I can do about that." Russel said shrugging.

"Your family... your family..." she didn't really have anything to say about the family, other than they just seemed too nice to be real. Raven was just wary of them.

Russel's movements were slow and oddly reassuring to her. He then smirked, "well, there are things I don't like about you either."

Okay, that stung a bit, but at the same time it broke the 'too nice to be real' delusion. "Like what?" She challenged.

"Well, you're stubborn, you're suspicious, you have an ounce of arrogance yourself, and force-feeding me dirt might have been the last straw, when you know I prefer chips." Raven fought her mouth from making the shape it wanted to. "You were also a little less than grateful for me taking the blow from the monster."

"I am grateful, but that doesn't mean you've earnt my affection." Raven unconsciously ground her teeth a little. "It doesn't mean you've earnt the right too..." She froze, her lips twitched.

"I don't think I have the right to anything of yours." Russel said in a low voice, "And who says I even want it?"

"There, so you don't like me." She decided. "I don't like you, and you don't like me."

"Who said I didn't like you. I think you're very interesting." Emotions again! _Oh for God sake!_

Raven turned away, the tension was unbearable. She could feel her frustration mounting and building, she had to release them. Focusing on a branch of a tree in the distance Raven focused and released her powers.

Nothing happened. That was strange. Again, she focused and tried to release power. But again, nothing was happening. Raven's face dropped as she turned towards a lamppost she could see. Raven shouldn't, but she had a suspicion that... the goth girl focused, tried to grasp the lamppost with her power and tried to bend it downward, she could always put it back. But it wasn't bending!

Raven looked at her hands? What the hell happened to her powers? They weren't working.

"Hey, are you alright?" Russel asked, bringing her back to the present.

"It's not working." Raven said meekly.

"What isn't?" Russel said. Raven didn't know what to say. It must be something to do with that machine in the Doctor's car, it was filtering out her own psychic abilities too. She turned back to Russel and looked at him, she was nervous, but he looked relaxed as he laid back on the blanket.

"I... don't know how to describe it." Raven said while looking at her hands, a mixture of thoughts rushing through her head.

"I'd describe it as a pair of hands." Russel said deadpan. Raven's mouth made an involuntary movement.

"Hey, is that another smile?" He asked cheekily.

"No it isn't." Raven said tying to force her mouth back into a frown. But something bubbling inside her head made it difficult.

"No, no, that is defiantly a smile. I'd recognise that expression anywhere." He cocked his head to one side and came a little closer. "Do it again."

"Screw you!" Raven said sharply.

"Take me out to dinner first." That joke tore it.

Raven's fist gently clenched, she never did bonk him on the head for his terrible jokes. Now was the time. She had no idea what motivated her to do this but without warning she leapt at him. Russel had his arms up instantly to defend himself, but Raven wasn't hitting him very hard, and he was laughing.

"I said I would kill you when I finally got my hands on you." Raven said, she felt... weird. "Your jokes are horrid."

"Oh man, everyone's a critic." Russel laughed as they wrestled with each other.

"I hate you, I hate you, I hate you." She laughed again. "I mean it, I frickin' hate you!" Russel fell backwards into the grass and Raven pinned him to the ground while gently mashing her fists into his head. She wasn't used to laughing like this, she wanted it to stop but she felt like she was being carried away with the 'fun' of this whole thing.

The boy smiled cheekily and said.

"I once saw a man spill his scrabble set on the road, I asked 'What's the word on the street?'"

"Shut up!"

"An Englishman, an Irishman and a Scotsman all walk into a bar. The barman asks 'What is this, some kind of joke?!'"

"SHUT UP!"

"Two men walk into a bar, you'd think one of them would've ducked!"

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP!"

The play fighting came to an end when Russel grabbed Raven's arms. She lost her balance and fell on top of him. Raven's small smile reduced back to a frown and her eyes were looking into Russel's, almost expectantly. He smelt of mint. Raven decided she liked mint. Their faces were so close, she could feel herself blushing, and this time her powers wouldn't interfere.

 _What do you mean, 'wouldn't interfere'?_ She asked herself.

He opened his mouth, that smirk told her he was going to make another bad joke. Raven tried to break free and stop him but his grip was too firm. "Did you hear about the Italian chef who died?" Without thinking Raven did something. "He pasta …" She tried to headbutt him, or fling her hair into his mouth. Something, anything to stop him finishing the punchline.

In the struggle something happened that Raven didn't mean to happen. Her head came down, trying to get it under his chin to clamp his mouth shut. But Russel had moved. There eyes both stared into each others as they found their lips being pressed against each other. _Shit!... What the heck have I just done?!_ Slowly she removed her lips from his. He was a little stunned too, like this never occurred to him either.

The next few moments were the most awkwardly tense Raven had ever felt. Her cheeks were turning really red, as were Russel's.

"Sorry." Russel said sheepishly.

"Don't say 'sorry'." Raven said. It was like the world had stopped. Emotions had flooded her brain when it had happened. Russel looked like he was waiting for her to make the next move, while Raven felt like she was waiting for him to make the next move.

 _No, no, no. I don't want to feel this way. I don't want to feel this way._ _I don't want to feel this way._ I don't want to feel this way.

"Can we... can we do that again?" Raven asked meekly.

"The fighting or the kissing?" Russel asked, their lips only inches from each other.

"Yes." was all Raven said.

For the rest of the night both the telescope, and Venus were long forgotten.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes: [EDITS 04/Jan/2020]** For any concerned, Raven and Russel are just making out, nothing more is going to happen between them.


	73. Bk 10, Cpt 72, Irritating my Darker Side

**Authors notes: [EDITS 04/01/2019]:** I cut out the first portion of this chapter, because it really didn't add anything that we didn't already know, nor could work out for ourselves.

The second half of this story is weird, I admit that. But keep in mind, things aren't what they seem and all shall be at the end of this memory in chapter 77.

Also, for those concerned, let me put your fears to rest. Raven and Russel did nothing between this and the last chapters. lol.

Also, for the rest of the story, keep in mind what Raven is doing has an extra motivation in that it irritates her darker side.

* * *

 **Book 10**

 **Not wrong, just different.**

Raven has taken a plunge into this disease of the human heart. This sensation, these feelings are new to her and most of all they irritate her darker side. However, with passion comes other emotions she's not prepared for, other peoples. Worst is yet to come however, as Antonia is not what she appears and Raven is torn between her new interest and her new friends.

If the situation is weird already, it's about to get a lot stranger when a mistake made in despair catches up with Raven which alters everything between her and Russel.

* * *

 **Chapter 72**

 **Irritating my Darker side.**

Raven was momentarily pulled out of the memory and brought back to the present in her dark room in the Titans Tower. She still laid on her bed staring at the drawings. What happened then was the first time she'd felt any genuine feelings about another person in that way, or at least had them reciprocated by said boy. At the time, part of her still wondered if Russel really did love her and wanted to be with her or if it was still just an act. She was paranoid like that, so sue her. A childhood of backstabbing will do that to you. Eventually, you get to the point where you suspect even the kindest hands of ill-intent. But when she and Russel had made out, it just all felt so magical, to be in lo... in lov... to be... to feel things that way.

Russel didn't judge her, as the Monks of Azarath did. Nor did he love her just for physical reasons. He really did care about her. And despite the odds, despite Raven's nature he'd managed to open her up so easily. There were a million and one ways he could've messed it up, and he came close. Russel was by no means perfect, though embarrassingly she thought he was at the time, but it was just nice to have that kind of affection from another human being. Raven remembered having a nagging feeling in the back of her head at the time that it was all just going to go wrong. It just didn't go wrong the way she thought it would. Raven swallowed as what she remembered next rang with a horrible clang in her mind.

In the corner of the page was Russel's signature, faded a little with time, but it was still there.

"I'm sorry." She croaked as she returned to where she'd left off.

* * *

Raven had always had a special disgust for romance novels and stories. They were so gut-churning and disgusting that she wouldn't even use them as toilet paper. But being with Russel, she understood the rose-tinted, delusional writings. The next time she opens a romance novel she could fully understand.

 _And then I'll use them as toilet paper._ She may understand them now, but that doesn't mean she'd read them.

Raven had stopped over at Russel's last night. Though not in the same sleeping accommodation. Russel had kindly offered her his bed while he slept on a camp bed. Russel's room had been a little unkempt. Everything was mostly blue and everything was neat and ordered. There was something about this neatness and order that really rubbed Raven the wrong way. She just couldn't describe it. It was like the order was weirdly unnatural.

 _His mum clearly cleans his room._ She decided was the explaination.

The two walked through town, though not hand in hand. Raven didn't feel ready to do that yet. But she showed her affection every now and then by brushing her hand up against his. A couple of times she even grasped his hand and gave it a quick squeeze, and he did hers. But they never held hands for long, like she'd imagined in those sickly romance novels. Too much of this mushy affection still made her feel sick.

She still didn't know why she liked Russel. He was odd, a little blunt, but respectful. There was just something about him that made her feel so 'normal', and for a half demon girl with uncontrollable psychic powers who's father was almost literally the devil, anything that made her feel 'normal' or at least not as odd she personally liked. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but there was something odd about Russel that she greatly appreciated.

Raven found herself admitting to him things she usually kept close to her chest. She didn't tell him she was a psychic, she couldn't prove that at the moment anyway. But she did tell him how hard she'd had it in 'school' for being the 'weird kid.'

"I can understand that." He said, "Believe it or not, I wasn't the popular guy either. You think I was always a swan-like this?" He laughed. "I started out as the ugly duck."

"Were you bullied?" Raven guessed not, he seemed too happy to have been bullied.

"All the time." He said as if it was no big deal, but still he took a deep breath before he continued. "It was awful. They used to spit in my hair, steal my drawings, someone even pinched my Gameboy and erased my Pokemon game. I nearly had all one-hundred and fifty, too."

"Poke-what? Actually, don't answer that, I'm not interested." It sounded like one of those schoolyard fads that she really would not be interested in.

"So, what's a really weird fact about you, that you've never told anyone?" That took Raven off guard, but she felt like she wanted to reply. A weird fact, she'd never told anyone? Ever?

"As a little girl..." she hesitated "I used to collect and keep spiders." She looked away before admitting. "But they'd always die."

"Didn't you have any dolls to play with?" Russel asked. "and I don't mean voodoo dolls."

"I've never had a voodoo doll before." Raven looked at him, there was a subtle hint of a smile to her eyes, "keep annoying me and you might be the first."

Russel laughed, "Well, they always say keep your friends close," he leaned a little closer, "and your enemies closer." Had he not been in her affections she knew she'd have smacked him back. Instead, she shot him a look. _God, I'm going soft!_

"So, your turn. You tell me a weird thing about you." Raven challenged.

"I was almost born as one of a matching set." Russel said vaguely.

"You mean a twin?"

"Yeah, technically I had something called a Fetus-in-fetu." He left that to hang, "It's not an offshoot of Feng Shui, before you ask."

"I wasn't."

"It means I had a twin in my mothers womb with me. But my cluster of cells developed faster than my twins to the point where my cells swallowed up my twin." Raven looked at him up and down.

"Is it still inside you?"

"Nah, when I was eight they noticed I had quite a gut on me, my mum wasn't concerned at first, she thought it was all the Twix's I was eating. The twin was still developing, though it wasn't a person, it was more a parasite living off of me, so they cut me open and took it out when it was ten. Want to see the scar?"

"Not really." Raven declined.

"It goes right the way around here and all around." He'd said, Raven didn't look at him as he traced out his scar over his clothes. "The thing actually nearly killed me when I was born. But the doctors manged to coax me back into life. Dad said I was too stubborn to die."

Raven didn't know what to say to that. "I'm... I'm glad you didn't." She said, brushing her fingers around Russel's.

"Yeah, so am I." He smiled at her. When the moment passed he continued talking. "The thing they took out wasn't really alive, it was just a mass of cells with oddly humanoid features." He paused and adopted a haunted look. "It's face haunts me to this day. Genetically, she would've been my twin sister. So there would've been two of me running around."

"Thank god, I can only stand one of you." Raven sighed, "If there were two, I think I'd murder one."

"Charming." He laughed. "I would've loved a twin sister. I could just imagine all the mischief we'd get into. We'd run rings around my brother and sister. My sister is Kerry, by the way, she's much older than me. Do you have any sisters, brothers?"

"No. I'm an only child." Raven said. "I never thought what it'd be like to have a sister or a brother. I didn't really have a father."

"I thought that weird guy with the frock coat was your father?" Oh god, that's the thing about lies, its hard to keep them straight in your head sometimes.

"He's my Dad." She said, "He... kind of adopted me."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Russel said as if this was a sad thing to talk about. Technically, it was, but Raven hardly dwelt on it these days.

"My birth father is a touchy subject." Raven said, hoping to bring that conversation to an end. "Your parents seem nice."

"Best Mum and Dad in the world." He said, "My Dad would always encourage me to do things and be the best that I could at whatever I wanted, he wanted me to choose my own path."

"And your mother?"

"Well..." He paused and looked like he was choosing his words carefully, "She's traditional. She kept pushing me to go to college, University and study a 'real subject' instead of drawing and animation, like I wanted." He laughed, "It was her who brow-beat me into being clean and tidy. Sometimes I think she honestly wished I was born a girl." He stopped and for a second his eyes became distant, the smile on his face dropped and for a second he was showing some kind of vulnerability.

"Are you okay?" Raven asked, waving a hand in front of his face.

"I'm alright." He sighed. "Just a bad memory."

"Do..." she hesitated, she really didn't want to ask, but it felt like the right thing to say. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No, I'll be fine." He perked up again. "Anyway, why don't you tell me about what you and your Dad do, Investigating Mysterious happenings?"

God, he was so full of questions, and Raven had to lie through her teeth to keep the truth from him. She effectively told him that she and the Doctor went around investigating mysterious happenings and the Doctor used his scientific gadgets to detect and maybe subdue threats.

"So it's like the X-Files, then?" Russel suggested.

"Sure, why not." She shrugged.

"So you're agent Skully?" More questions came. Russel was a clever boy, because he began asking if her religion was in some way connected to this 'hobby' of hers. She wasn't really in the mood to talk about her strange powers, especially since she couldn't demonstrate them. So instead she just nodded and said, "I'll explain later."

"It must get lonely, moving from place to place. Have you ever thought about settling down?" Russel asked.

Raven had never considered that. She expected to spend the rest of her life in the TARDIS helping the Doctor fight off bad guys and stuff. Leaving had never crossed her mind, and anyway, if she left she'd risk her true father finding where she was. No, best to stay on the move, best to keep hopping around.

"No," she answered, she couldn't help herself as she shared her feelings with him. "I've never found a place I truly belong. Not even where I was born, I was an outcast. The only place I belong is the TARDIS. I mean... in our transport. That is the only place I belong." Raven saw an opportunity and decided to spin the question back at him. "What about you? You said you're an outcast in this place too. Don't you want to get away from it all? Go out there and see the Universe?" Raven looked at Russel for his reaction. She knew what she was doing. She wanted Russel to come with her in the TARDIS. She wanted to keep him. It would be too dangerous for him to come on adventures with her and the Doctor, she'll admit that, but he could stay in the TARDIS and do whatever he wanted until she returned.

Inside herself, she laughed, she had been thinking about this all morning. He just needed to show interest in, effectively, running away with her.

"I'd love to." Russel said, "but I have my University stuff to do." Raven's heart sank a little.

"But if that was no object. Would you?" Raven asked. "What if you could explore the Unive... the world and still do your University course?"

"I don't know. Would you be there?" She hadn't expected that question. In reply, she gave his hand a little squeeze and her mouth smiled just a little. "Then yeah, signed me up!" Her eyes twinkled. _Oh, his brain is so gonna blow when I show him the TARDIS._

* * *

They had arrived back at the pub, the Doctors car was parked outside and Raven got the feeling the Doctor might be worried about her since she didn't come home last night. She really needed to let him know she was okay.

"This is my stop." She said, she now found it difficult to make eye contact with him.

"Shall we meet for coffee again tomorrow, and talk portraits?" He said.

"You... want to draw me?" Raven felt flattered.

"Why not? Though NOT like one of the French girls." He laughed. Raven didn't understand why he thought it funny. But she agreed. Before they parted company she instructed Russel to wait, and she disappeared up to her lodgings to get something.

When Raven entered she found the Doctor still hunched over his devices. He seemed surprised when she'd greeted him.

"You're very spry this morning." The Doctor said, he didn't even question why she was just now coming in. Raven made a beeline for the desk next to her bed and she extracted the blank book she'd bought, the one she'd never wrote in. "Are you alright?" The Doctor asked.

"Why shouldn't I be?" Raven asked, holding the book to her chest.

"I don't know, you just seemed more, 'relaxed' than usual." He commented. "More... I don't know, active, more..."

"Alive?" She suggested.

"Well, I didn't want to say." The Doctor looked pleased with her. "I knew this little holiday would be good for you."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Raven waved her hand in dismissal, "I'll be back in a second."

She was back down to the pavement outside in a shot and she handed Russel the blank book. "Here, you can have this to replace your sketch pad."

"Are you sure?" Russel asked, "You said you wanted to write something."

"I'm terrible at telling stories." She said, taking a step closer to him and again gripped him by the collar she pulled him down to her level. "Instead, I make them." And again, their lips met. So sue her, she liked it. Some part of Raven still felt repulsed by the action. But again, if it made her darker side squirm in disgust then she'd gladly do it. Her dark side had tormented her for her entire life, always made her doubt herself, make her feel like everyone hated her. Doing this kind of felt like payback for all the times it made her feel worthless. It really didn't like it when she wrapped her arms around his neck tightly, just like one might their boyfriend. Her darker side wanted to hug him even tighter, much tighter. Tight enough to pop his head from his neck. But of course, Raven refused.

When the pair parted and she walked through the pub and back to her lodgings she could feel what felt like her dark-side blowing chunks in her mind-scape.

 _Why do you care about the affections of an ant, like him!? You're just doing this to spite me!_

She chose to ignore the thoughts as she walked up the stairs.

 _He will only hurt you, mark my words, he'll only hurt you._

 _Go brood somewhere else!_ She told it. _He makes me feel so... human!_

When she re-entered the room she passed the Doctor and put the kettle on. "I want a cup of tea." She announced. "Do you want one too?" She asked the Doctor, who turned and looked at her up and down as if she'd suddenly grown three heads.

"Well, now I know you're not well." The Doctor laughed, "You've never made me a cup of tea before in your life." Technically not true, but Raven felt too good about herself to argue back. "And you're smiling."

"Do you want a cup of tea or not?" Raven's mouth frowned again, though only to mask her positive mood underneath. She may feel happy, but the Doctor's pleased manner felt more patronising than affectionate.

"Please," the Doctor said, turning back to his device. "Milk, two sugars, thank you."

The smile crept back onto her face as she took two cups and saucers. She was putting tea bags into the cups when she suddenly asked. "Hey Da... err, Doctor," she corrected herself, "What's so weird about drawing French girls?"

* * *

 **The Next Day..**

"Azarath,, Metrion, Zinthos. Azarath,, Metrion, Zinthos." Raven meditated to herself as she sat under a tree. The place was surprisingly peaceful with only the occasional tweeting of birds and the water gently lapping against the shore of a local lake. That and the gentle scribbling of pencil on paper as Russel drew in his sketchpad.

She didn't mind the scribbling, she could tune it out and focus on her centre. He was surprisingly quiet than usual. The explanation came when he said he hadn't had a wink of sleep the night before.

"Well, would you think less of me if I told you I was having nightmares of the monster?" Russel asked.

Raven rolled her eyes but said, "it's natural, everyone has nightmares." _Even me._

"What do you have nightmares about?" He asked.

"Demons." Raven admitted.

Russel laughed, "Demons? Don't be silly." Raven's face dropped, that was rather blunt of him to say. He yawned, "Sorry, I'm still tired." She decide to forgive him for it. She glanced at his drawing pad, his tiredness had not affected his ability to draw.

Gently, Raven leant her head against his shoulder. He shrugged her off. Gently Russel shook his head, and stretched his shoulder. What was wrong with him? "Sorry, I feel a little tense." She again leant on his shoulder. Why was he so uncomfortable?

"Russel, relax." She said. He sighed and put the pad down. He leant against the tree and tried to relax himself. Raven felt comfortable where she was until Russel felt like he had gone limp. His head had fallen forward and it was like he'd been switched off. He must've been tired.

Raven sat up and saw Russel was about to fall over. Quickly, she caught him and laid him out on the ground. She gave him a scathing look as he slept. Sighing, she moved his arm so she could nestle her head against his shoulder. When Russel woke up she was going to insist he go to bed, and she would cut down any chance of him making the joke she knew he'd try to make. Raven pulled a book from her pocket, opened it and began to read. Raven admitted she was starting to enjoy these Cookson books, though she felt a little guilty that she'd promised Sarah she'd finish this in one day, and she was only halfway through.

After he woke up for the rest of the day he seemed kind of distant. Like he had other things on his mind, almost as if Raven herself was not there. She wanted to know if something was wrong, but he kept quiet about it. His entire manner had changed too. He was still kind of blunt on some things, but he'd also interrupt her midsentence.

He was kind enough to put the brakes on, apologise and fall silent again, but he didn't seem like the same person he was yesterday. What was especially irritating was when he suddenly gave her an info dumb all about shades, pencil markings and colours. When all she'd wanted was a simple answer to a simple question. Everything suddenly became complicated to him.

That was until she insisted he went to sleep for a while. He'd only napped for thirty minutes and the transformation was amazing. He was suddenly a lot more polite, caring and present. Raven tried to ask him what was wrong, but he seemed to sheepishly brush it aside as nothing.

Sean, his brother, gave Russel a smug look like he was enjoying some struggle he was having. While Maggie, his mother, looked like she wanted to say something to Raven, but was refraining from speaking. But Russel was acting 'normally' at least, but why did he suddenly act so distant?

* * *

 **Two days later...**

Raven just felt so content with herself as she sat in the book shop waiting for the meeting to start. Over the past two days Russel felt like he was struggling with something, but didn't trust Raven to understand him. She kind of took that as an insult. What was he hiding that was so bad that he felt Raven wouldn't understand?

Raven was actually early to the book club, Sarah and Antonia hadn't arrived yet and so Raven was indulging in some light reading.

"Hello, deary!" said a familiar voice. It was Russel's mother, standing by one of the bookshelves. The older woman had several, rolled-up posters under her arms.

"Oh, Hello, umm..." What was her name again? "Maggie. What are you doing here?"

"Me? Oh, I volunteer here from time to time. What are you doing here?" She sounded so cheerful and happy.

"I... umm... I'm part of the book club here." Maggie's face fell a little. "Oh..." Was something wrong? Raven cocked her head to one side. "That's nice." Maggie said with an edge of tension. An awkward silence came. "Listen, would you mind helping me put these posters up, chick?"

 _Huh? Chick? Must be slang. Chick as in 'young'._

Raven shrugged, "Sure." Maggie passed her a few posters and some sticky-blue stuff. Raven watched her put for wads of it at each side of the poster and press it up against the wall. It held and it didn't fall. The poster had that strange multicoloured, jigsaw pattern again as was on some of Maggie's books. The words on the poster decreed. Autism Awareness. Along with diagrams and information.

"Have you ever heard of Autism/Aspergers syndrome?" Raven shrugged, she hadn't. "Well, deary, it's something some people are born with. It's a spectrum condition which affects their social development. "Did you know, one in fifty-nine children are born with the condition these days? Or that boys are four times more likely to develop the condition than girls?"

Raven wasn't really that interested, but Maggie seemed to want to talk about it passionately.

"It's genetic, so people have it when they are born, and there is no cure. They can only mask it." Raven looked at a poster she'd just put up herself.

Information on the condition read.

'Children born to older parents are at a higher risk of having autism.'

'Nearly two-thirds of children with autism between the ages of 6 and 15 have been bullied. '

'Many young adults with autism do not receive any healthcare for years after they stop seeing a paediatrician.'

In bold letters, it made perfectly clear.

'Vaccines **DO NOT** cause autism.'

The next poster was again different.

Some common traits in males include

'Unable to maintain eye contact.'

'Preference for solitude'

'Difficulty understanding other people's feelings'

'Seeming blunt, rude or not interested in others without meaning to'

'Finding it hard to say how they feel'

'Lack of empathy is **NOT** an autistic trait. They just show their emotions in ways non-autistic people do not recognise.'

'There is no cure for autism. Though the condition can be masked.'

There was more info on another poster about 'Masking' and autism in females. But Raven didn't bother reading it.

"Did you make these yourself?" Raven asked.

"Oh, no deary, I sent away for them." She seemed pleased that Raven was paying attention to them, though Raven didn't question why.

 _Do I have autism?_ Raven wondered. She did glance at the other poster about autism in girls. They listed a few things, but the ones that stood out where.

-'Usually feeling depressed, moody or anxious'

-'Difficulty making and keeping friends'

-'Described as quiet or shy.'

-'Difficulty moderating feelings'

This wasn't a positive diagnosis of her, but Raven did wonder. There were other traits about 'specific interests' and 'relying on others to speak for them' she was sure did not map to herself. Raven looked in a mirror and stared at her reflection for a bit. It was something to think about.

Raven sat back down with her book, she kept glancing at all the posters wondering about herself. Maggie took one last look at her before moving on, a satisfied smile to her face. A satisfied smile Raven did not understand.

* * *

Later, Raven sat with Sarah and Lisa. Antonia was apparently running late, or she was unwell. Raven couldn't tell which because both the girls seemed to have different explanations.

As the night wore on Raven began to realise that she wasn't 'clicking' with either Sarah or Lisa now that Antonia was gone. It was weird. Their body language was pretty closed off to her now. Did she do something wrong? Have they found out she's going out with Russel? She guessed in a way, that would be seen as betrayal considering they didn't like him. She wanted to defend him and tell them he wasn't like the way they said he was, but she had a feeling it would get her nowhere and only alienate her from her new friends.

They really didn't seem to like when she was honest with them either. Like they were talking about a book series that they loved, but Raven had different views on it. She just saw the whole book differently. They applauded the female character in the book, but Raven thought the character was dumb and that she just got affection from others that wasn't earned, or things handed to her just because the story demanded it. The protagonist wasn't a good role model at all, especially not for Raven. But Sarah nor Lisa could understand this. In fact, they looked at her like she'd slapped them in the face with a wet fish. As if her view was somehow corrupting their 'good vibes'.

This made Raven feel a little uncomfortable around them. Honesty was always better than a comfortable lie in her book. But if their mood could be brought down so easily then they were just emotionally immature, in Raven's mind. Usually, she'd walk away from such people, but the 'new Raven' for some reason didn't want to lose her friendship with them, so she had decided to keep her big mouth shut for the sake of staying on their good side.

It was nice to have friends. When they talked to you.

Eventually, Antonia came through the door. She had a bounce in her step like she'd been rejuvenated somehow.

"Sorry I'm late." She announced and took her seat. "You'll never guess what I did today." She sounded pleased.

The girls gathered around to listen.

"I showed some of Russel's drawings around the town. Like Mr Halmington, Mrs Frizzel, Mrs McIntyre, that Pub Land Lord guy, etc. You know, the really unflattering pictures he drew." She laughed. Raven's face fell. Those drawings were interpretations of how Russel saw the world, and Antonia was showing them off to everyone. "They were all fuming at him when I left them." She giggled. "If anything, I hope Mrs McIntyre can get him kicked out of that astronomy club thingy he's in."

Raven didn't agree with this, it sounded so vindictive. She wanted to get up and walk out that instant, but for whatever reason, she didn't.

"Have you seen Russel's got himself a new girlfriend!" Antonia said. Raven's stomach tightened, they'd found out. "It's some dumb, blonde." _Wait, what?_

Antonia produced her phone and showed everyone the picture she'd snapped. Raven had to look. It was of Russel embracing a young girl about his age, he was dressed in the same clothes he'd been wearing today. The picture had been taken today! The two weren't kissing, just hugging. There was no indication that it was a boyfriend, girlfriend kind of relationship and her logical mind told her this. But the New Raven felt madly jealous, and madly furious at Russel. They hadn't been dating for twenty-four hours and already he was going after someone else!

"Oh, I'm sorry Raven." Antonia said, "I know you liked him. But he really doesn't like you in that way. We told you he was only after you because he thinks you'd be easy."

 _Easy?!_

"Yeah," Antonia said, "He's got no friends, he's never had a stable girl-friend. So there's something clearly wrong with him." Antonia noticed Raven's dark look. "Oh, I didn't mean to sound like you were 'easy' only that he thinks you are easy."

Raven's fingers began to curl up. Russel and herself had both kissed... How could he stab her in the back like this?

 _I warned you._ Her dark side said. _I said he'd stab you in the back._

"Do you know what else?" Sarah now piped up, "He's been sending me nasty messages. I don't know what his problem is. He just doesn't like us." She flipped through her phone and brought up texts they'd been sending to each other. For some reason Sarah still had Russels number, and visa-versa.

Raven held the phone in her hand, it was quite new. Not a scuff mark on it, and as Raven read the messages both her sadness and anger grew.

* * *

-Leave Raven alone, she's mine now.

Raven is her own girl, she's not 'yours'-

-I know you're trying to poison her mind away from me.

We're only telling her the truth about you.-

-She doesn't need to know any of that.

Yes she does.-

-If you don't back off you dumb bitch, then I will come for you!

* * *

Raven didn't want to read anymore. The name tag on the conversation confirmed that the person Sarah had been talking to was, indeed, Russel. She could sense some part of her mind wallowing, denying it. She so wanted to deny it. But that was just a delusion, she knew, it was desperate to think of Russel as misunderstood, or that the girls were lying. But they couldn't be. The photo, these messages. Russel wasn't the boy she thought she was, and that hurt.

She didn't need a minute to process this as the 'new Raven' vanished to be replaced by the original Raven. Only even more cynical, mistrusting and deep inside very, very angry.

"I've got a plan to get back at him for all this. For everything he's ever done to all of us." Antonia said to Raven, "Are you in?"

"Tell me more." Her dark eyes said.

As Raven seethed she didn't notice, nor question why, or how the ceiling light fixture above her was shrouded in dark energy and was sharply, but quietly shaking as if with a quiet fury. So fixated on her own anger Raven didn't notice Antonia was going around their little space, taking down all the Autism Awareness posters.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** For those who've ever gotten involved in this kind of drama, you know it's never as simple as it's painted on the surface, and considering it's Doctor Who it's going to be a million times more complicated then that. lol XD

Some of Russel and Raven's interactions here I actually took from my interactions with an old ex-girlfriend. Like the forehead thing, it was something we used to do when we'd get into an argument. Its silly I know, but it always transform the tension of an argument and we'd just burst out laughing. :D

You know, after writing all this, it just makes me feel all the more wretched for what I'm going to put them through.

I'll leave whether or not Raven has a form of mild autism up to the reader, personally I'm not so sure. But it does feel natural for a person to look at such posters and wonder about themselves.


	74. Chapter 73, the persecution of Pinocchio

**Updated 19/Jan/2020**

* * *

 **Chapter 73**

 **The Persecution of Pinocchio**

Raven was still in a foul mood when she returned to her lodgings and laid on the bed, her feelings swimming around her head. Still, she kept the habit of keeping a lid on them. The Doctor was too busy taking notes and checking maps on the desk to notice her mood.

"Any luck?" The Doctor asked, asking about the investigation she was failing to do.

"I hate my life." Raven seethed. "No, I don't want to talk about it. I just want to go to bed." She climbed under the covers and buried her head under her pillow. She heard silence as the Doctor stopped tinkering, the squeaking swivel of his chair as he turned to her. Still, he said nothing and instead slowly turned back to his device, choosing to leave her alone.

That was fine by her. The Doctor would never understand. She was just a stupid, teenage girl who made the mistake of opening up and offering her heart to someone. God, she felt disgusting now and she was glad that mushy spell was finally over. She felt like she could see clearly now. She just needed to force these emotions down.

"You know, it's curious." The Doctor started to say.

"I don't care!" Raven said, her voice muffled by her pillow.

"The pool of psychic energy in the town was constantly being tapped." He said, "And yet the creature we found manifested in the woods, near the Devils Hump. Do you know what that suggests to me?"

 _It clearly doesn't suggest that I want to be left alone!_ Raven moaned in her head. If he didn't stop, then she was going to throw something at him.

"It suggests that our shimmering giant is not the only creature being generated. There might very well be another manifestation out there, and by the look of these readings it might be something more substantial."

"Doctor, what part of 'I want to be left alone do you not understand'?" Raven moaned.

"You never said it." The Doctor replied.

"Well, I have now!" Silence entered Raven's world, except for the Doctor moving around the room, putting the kettle on. Followed by a cup and saucer being placed on her bedside table. As the Doctor walked away Raven looked from under her pillow and saw the steaming cup of tea.

Again, Raven hid under the covers and sent one thought running through her head like a mantra.

 _I don't need boys, I don't want a boyfriend, I don't want a boyfriend, boys are horrid, they're all horrid, they're all horrid, I hate them!_

 _I cast this spell, so I might forever be reminded._

 _That love and romance, is only for the weak-minded._

Those words sounded familiar, and she agreed with them. Love and romance are only for the weak-minded. From now on, her heart was cold and sealed, she wouldn't let another person in.

 _No matter how 'perfect' I think they are._

* * *

Morning came and Raven felt like herself again, cold and dead inside. The only ray of sunshine she'd even allow in were the Doctors playful antics, though she wasn't responding to them in the same way as she would if her soul was settled. He wanted to talk about their mission, but Raven wasn't interested. There was no danger as long as the Doctors device was running, they had plenty of time to sort it out, and right now what she was going to do today was more important to her.

After breakfast, Raven headed out the door and towards the Coffee Shop. Stage one of payback was to keep her 'date' with Russel.

She walked past the Doctors beetle car, but she stopped. She'd sensed something. Something just out of the corner of her eye. Standing in front of the car and looking at it she thought the bonnet didn't look right, it looked like it sat higher than usual, and the gap between it and the body of the car confirmed it. She placed a hand on it's curved bonnet and gently she pushed. There was an audible 'click' as the locking latch engaged. The Doctor mustn't have shut it properly. Good thing she did lock it, the last thing she needed was someone tampering with the inhibitor while she was in such a dark mood, and knowing kids the moment they saw that gem wired into the computer they'd certainly steal it.

Actually, she should check, but unfortunately Raven didn't have any keys to open the lock. Experimentally, she focused on where the release for the catch was and tried to pull it.

'Click!' and the bonnet of the car popped up a little. She opened it up. The crystal was gone!

Raven spun around and headed back to tell the Doctor. She may want to get back at Russel, but she understood her priorities.

Unfortunately, there was nothing the Doctor could do, he didn't have a spare crystal. So Raven was now truly back to 'normal'.

The Doctor was scratching his head as he inspected the car and found subtle scratches around the window above the doors locking latch. Someone had deliberately broken in. Yet, nothing else was taken, not even the money in the glove compartment. They'd broken in, popped the bonnet and specifically stolen the crystal and not shut the bonnet properly.

Locking the car, the Doctor gently closed the bonnet. There was a small 'click' as the main handle latch engaged, then a louder one as the main release engaged. Raven guessed the thief had tried to close it softly not realising it wasn't shut properly.

"Someone's aware of what we're doing." The Doctor had said, and Raven could guess who. The only person she'd told about what she and the Doctor were doing was Russel. It had to be him, it couldn't be anyone else.

 _He didn't love me!_ Said a voice in her head. _I was being manipulated!_

 _I'm gonna kill him!_

Raven had to break away from the Doctor, telling him. "I'm going to get that crystal back, I know where it is."

Finally meeting with him it was difficult to maintain a 'pleasant, girly-Raven' persona now that she knew what she knew. His charm and smiles she now realised were just him trying to open her up more so he could stab a knife into her.

Dark clouds gathered over the town and a shower of rain hit the area. So much so they retreated into the cafe with Russel joking. "We'd better get inside, or our coffee cups will fill faster than we can drink them." She didn't laugh.

"Is something bothering you?" He asked, with obvious fake concern.

"I'll be okay," Raven said, "I'm just processing something."

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked.

"No." She said flatly. His charm did cause something in her head, but she resisted it. She would not fall under that spell again. Love and Romance are only for the weak-minded.

Antonia's plan required her to get Russel to the ruins of the old church and from there ambush him. Raven was relishing what they were going to do to him.

 _Turn on your own charm._ She thought, _Try to establish a little attraction so he doesn't get wise._ But Raven didn't know if she could fake that. So instead she adopted one persona she knew she could pull off, a brooding teen. A brooding teen who just wanted company.

Russel talked about portraits and while it was raining they had nothing else to do. Raven may have been in a foul mood, but she wasn't going to get wet just to get her revenge. Russel seemed to be doing stuff to try to cheer her up, he even began drawing in his new book asking her to hold still. Rain, rain and more rain fell and they drank cup after cup of coffee and tea. The first drawing he drew was a full picture of herself. It was rather flattering. Then he drew something else and presented to her a drawing he'd plucked from his imagination, a picture of both him and her in a happy... in a 'romantic' looking pose, she guessed. Raven's gut churned at how soppy it was. Her girly self really loved it. But it just added to her anger knowing it wasn't real.

Another drawing, this time this did stir something in her. It wasn't detailed. It showed a girl, drawn in shadow, protected within a bubble, the bubble pushing so many people out, and yet there was kind looking one reaching in behind her. The girls head was slightly turned so she was aware of it, but she looked like she didn't want to take it.

Raven ground her teeth and her eyes rolled up to him. He was clearly the one wanting to reach in and pull her from her dark mood, totally unaware 'he' was the reason she was in this dark mood to start with. _I wish it was real. But I am not weak-minded!_

After the rain stopped they did leave the coffee shop and Russel was suggesting places to go hang out. But Raven had a specific place she wanted to go, and he was too happy to oblige if it made her happy that it was all too easy.

"Have you and your Dad found anything out about that thing in the forest?" He asked. Here came the digging for info and Raven decided to see how he'd react to this.

"Someone broke into my Dad's car last night." She said.

"Oh no, that's awful." Russel said, he made a good effort at being shocked, "They didn't damage or take anything did they?"

"No, they just wanted to listen to the radio." Raven rolled her eyes at such a silly question. "They stole a very special crystal that was keeping that creature from the town."

Russel looked around. "Are we in any danger? Shouldn't we do something?"

"We are." Raven said as they arrived at the ruined church. She lept up over the railing and began descending the wonky steps down into the destroyed foundations. "Come on." Raven motioned.

"I love a woman who takes charge." He said slyly. Raven's gut churned again at how thick he was laying on that act.

Down into the foundations they went. Raven took two steps forward before she began to feel something. Dizziness. Holding her head she tried to lock her legs into place so she didn't fall over. This wasn't Russel's doing, this was caused by residual psychic energy she was picking up.

 _"Destroy him!"_ Went a voice. _"Then you will give your power to me?"_ The voice sounded rich.

 _"I will pass on my power!"_ Said a thunderous voice.

 _"Oh, thank you Azal, thank you!"_ Said the rich voice.

 _"But NOT to you!"_ It thundered back, " _To him!"_

 _"NO! NO! I don't want it!"_ Said a third voice.

Raven shook her head and pushed back on the assaulting images and her brain came back into focus. As it did she realised she was in Russel's arms. He'd caught her as she'd lost her balance and fallen over.

"Rave, Rave! Are you alright?" He asked snapping his fingers in front of her face. Her mind now focused she took his arms and removed them from herself.

"Don't call me, Rave." She said as she stood up.

"Have I done something?" Russel asked, clueless. No, 'acting' clueless.

Where were Antonia, Lisa and Sarah? They should be here.

"Raven, I..." Raven had finally had enough now.

"Drop the act!" She spat.

"Huh?"

"Drop the act! You're seeing someone else." Raven did not turn to look at him.

"No, I'm not!" Russel said indignantly. "What makes you say that?"

"I saw you with another girl!" Raven fumed.

A few seconds past, and Russel burst out laughing. It wasn't a laugh like someone had been caught, though her brain was trying to interpret it that way.

"A blond girl?" He asked, "So high" He mimed "Wearing jeans and a white top?" He was being very open about it. "That was just my niece."

Raven's anger faltered for a second. "But she's the same age as you!"

"I said I have an older sister." He said, "Kerry. She over thirty. That girl was Amy, my niece."

"I don't believe you." Raven said.

"Come, I'll show you." He turned to walk away, "I'll take you to their house, I'll introduce you. They live in the village." He as so confident that it was just a mistake, but she didn't want to. She felt angry and she felt like she needed to keep her anger justified. Anyway, she was too far into the plan now, if she backed out she'd annoy the girls. Russel clearly deserved taking down a peg and Raven was going to allow it.

"No, that shouldn't be necessary," Raven said coldly.

"So... are we good now?" Russel came closer to her, but was acting like a wary animal. He could sense something was wrong.

"Drop the act." Raven insisted, "I know who you are."

Russel's face fell, "You've been listening to Antonia, haven't you?" Raven didn't answer, she just gave the boy a look which said, 'yes', and she waited for the excuses. Russel's face went through a range of emotions, from worry, to hurt, to betrayal, sadness, then his eyes became as cold as hers. He sighed deeply, held up his hand as if to brush her away and he turned his back to her and began walking away from her.

"Where are you going?" Raven asked, she was confused, his behaviour didn't make sense to her. He should be making excuses.

"I'm going home." He said without looking at her.

Raven took a few steps towards him. "Aren't you going to defend yourself?" The weak fool.

"Why should I?" Russel looked back, his eyes as cold as hers, "You've already decided 'who' I am, will anything I say change your mind?"

 _No._

 _Yes._

 _No._

 _I want to hear it._

Raven couldn't help herself as she used her powers to grab Russel and she forced him to face her. He was obviously shocked at suddenly being forced to turn around by an invisible hand, he looked like he had questions, but Raven had her own.

"What is your problem with Antonia?!" She fumed, "What is your problem with her and her girls?"

"I don't have a problem with Antonia!" Russel fumed back, "I never have! She seems to have a problem with me!" Those words echoed inside Raven's head, down to her core. Raven wanted to become tender, to gently pull this out of him, but her darker side made her look uncaring and ridged in order to protect herself from his manipulation. Was it manipulation? Questions were starting to form in Raven's head. "Tell me." She said calmly.

"I don't know. Ever since we were kids she's hated me. Ever since we first met when I was ten, when she turned up on our doorstep in the freezing rain, lost. When she saw me she gave me an evil look like I was the devil incarnate." Raven could understand that, "The police came and took her home. Next thing I knew she was at my school, constantly trying to go after me. Constantly poking and prodding me until I lashed out, and then go crying to the teachers."

"What did you do to her?" Raven didn't buy that this malice wasn't justified.

"I don't know. I wish I did, maybe I could fix it. But she'd always stayed numb lipped, to me at least." Russel said, his voice defeated like this was something which haunted him. "The teachers wouldn't listen to me, they'd away's take her side, even if I had the bruises. I was just expected to take this abuse. If it were the other way around I know I'd be hung from the nearest tree. But no, because she was the 'helpless, poor little girl' and I was the 'big, bad, bully boy,' I somehow deserved everything thrown at me, whether it was deserved or not." He looked away. Eye contact seemed to be uncomfortable for him suddenly. There was something in his manner that felt confusing, but his discomfort looking her in the eye told Raven he was being deceitful.

Russel acted like he wanted to say something, but he was holding back. What was he doing? Trying to reason if the lie would work? But then, why lie when he was determined to just walk away a few seconds ago? Nothing about this made sense.

"I..." Russel looked to the ground like this was something he was ashamed of, it was like he was bracing himself to feel backlash. "I... Have you ever heard of Aspergers syndrome?"

Asperger's? That thing Russel's mom was telling her about.

"I've heard of it." Raven said, her voice getting across that she didn't really understand it all that well.

Russel walked over to a loose boulder and sat down, his movements were slow, like an animal that was feeling pain.

"It causes social deficiencies." Russel said, "I have it very mildly." He sighed, "I know I can come off as dismissive, arrogant, aloof, distant, maybe even condescending at times. I don't mean to, but that's just the way I'm wired." He looked up, his eyes emotional but somewhat dead. "What you see here." He said, waving his hands over his facial features. "Doesn't translate to what I feel in here." He placed a finger to his head. "I'm not wired to understand social body language, facial expressions, tone of voice. Do you know what that's like? Have you ever tried to talk to someone and just ignore their body language and tone of voice? It's a challenge because you're used to it. But to me, I'm blind to it like a blind man is to the sensation of sight."

 _Oh great, I was dating a freak. That's just my luck!_ Raven initially thought.

"What does this have to do with anything?" she then asked. Russel just sighed.

"Do you have any idea what it's like to have Aspergers and try to live a normal life?" He asked. "People think it doesn't sound so bad, but it's called a 'disability' for a reason." He looked like he was thinking. "Think of it like being born deaf." He paused and looked at Raven as if to check she was listening. "I can't communicate verbally, because I can't learn to talk, but I can learn sign language. But you don't understand sign language, and its frustrating trying to communicate to someone like that. Now imagine what it's like to be the deaf person, all you want is someone to communicate with you in a way you understand, but no one can be bothered, why should you, when everyone else can talk? Instead, they resort to shouting at you, despite not being able to hear and when they get frustrated, thinking you're just being rude, they come up to you and shove you to get your attention. But from your perspective, someone has come up to you and aggressively shoved you for no reason. Aspergers is a lot like that for me. Only instead of hearing, it's to do with body language and subtle communication."

"I can barely tell." Raven said in an accusatory tone. Could he be making it up? There was something in his manner which gave Raven the impression of falseness. But if he had trouble communicating through body language then could she really trust herself to read him correctly? If it wasn't for that doubt she'd believe this was all some convenient excuse for his behaviour.

"Thanks, but I do mess up at times, and people aren't always willing to listen when you do mess up. They assume it means something. That you have a behavioural problem, or a discipline problem. When it's just a communication problem." Russel said. Raven raised an eyebrow. She hadn't meant her words as a compliment, she meant it as an accusation that he was lying.

"I mean, I don't buy you have it. You're too normal!" Raven accused more clearly this time.

"I see..." Russel said sombrely. He didn't react, he just took a deep breathe and sighed like he'd heard it all before. "I do something called 'masking'. Over the years I've watched neurotypical people, that's what we'd call 'normal people' I read their social cues, their facial expressions. I even practiced them in a mirror in the hopes of being able to pass as human. But it's just like having a prosthetic limb, it's not real. I can mimic facial expressions so people can be comfortable around me. It's like acting like a chameleon. All the subtle communication people do subconsciously, I had to learn to do manually. But it's not perfect, when I get tired my mask can slip, I forget to try to read people, and my Aspergers starts to show through." Raven remembered when he began acting strangely when he was tired. "It's the same when I'm ill. To mask I need to be present with myself, when I'm tired I can't hold the mask on anymore. It's like trying to read a book when you're tired, your brain can't do it."

Raven could understand this. When she was tired she wasn't present, she wasn't 'in the moment', she wasn't fully aware. When that happens her powers tended to seep out. The fact that it seeped out so easily was one of the reasons the peoples of Azarath feared her.

She rolled her tongue a little.

"What has this got to do with Antonia?" Raven then asked. Aspergers may explain his behaviour, but not his feud with Antonia.

"She doesn't buy I'm autistic. She thinks its a condition only children have. She thinks I use it to make excuses for being rude and distant." He sighed deeply. "She always seems to be there, it's like she's shadowing me. Whenever I socially messed up, she'd appear and be the 'angel' to my 'demon', she won't accept I have autism and neither will anyone else in the village, to them I'm just a problem child, and I still am, despite not getting into any scrapes for years."

"You're a little weird, but that doesn't explain why people dislike you." Raven said. She was more weird than Russel. She liked creepy things that'd put people off. Russel was just like a normal boy, except for an irritating sense of humour and a sense of comfortable smugness about him.

"Doesn't it?" Russel asked, looking at her with eyes that hide his true feelings. "When they disapprove of something I say or do, they try to communicate it to me subtly. When I don't respond to that they try another subtle way, and another. They start to think I'm ignoring them, when I just can't 'hear' what they're 'saying'. They get angry, they shout, throw things at me, label me as a source of trouble." Okay, now that he explained it like that she could understand why it'd cause problems for him. But then again, she could understand why people would be so short with such a person.

Raven took a step forwards, she didn't know what to say, except to be cold and logical about it.

"People aren't required to communicate with you. People don't have to accept you, or your differences, and you can't force them too." Raven began, trying to choose words which spoke truth but also didn't cut. "I know what it feels like to be vilified by people, just because you're different." She paused again. She didn't want to go into her past right now. "Russel, not everyone is going to like or accept you, that's the tragedy of all this. I know what it feels like to want someone who can talk to you on a wavelength you recognise, only to be surrounded by many who don't. But you've got to keep searching, you've got to keep looking, and if you can't find what you're looking for here, then move on. I've been travelling for months, and I haven't found many who understand what I feel or think."

Russel's eyes looked into hers. That was one piece of body language that she could understand well enough. Raven suddenly felt a little shy herself. Shy, and uncomfortable, so she changed the subject. "I don't think you're a broken person, Russel, "You're just 'different', and different can be many things. But we can't escape the hand fate dealt us, and the world will not always accept someone who is blue when they 'should' be red."

Russel looked very stoic as he thought about this.

"Why didn't you tell me about this earlier?" Raven asked.

"It's silly." Russel looked down, sighed, then looked back up into her eyes. "Because I was scared. I was scared that if you found out, then you'd wouldn't accept the hand fate dealt me."

Raven swallowed. For some reason that echoed into the back of her head. She realised she felt the same way about her heritage. She was scared of tell him, not because she didn't think he'd believe her, but because she feared him hating her for it. The one thing she was aware of was when love turned to hate, that was the worst kind of hate to endure. The irony was not lost on her, so she composed herself before saying. "I wouldn't have hated you."

The demon girl didn't know how to feel about this now. Antonia was still so angry at Russel, she hated Russel so much. Could it all be a failure to communicate between two people? Was Antonia trying to subtly tell Russel something years ago and he didn't get it. Or maybe Russel tried to communicate something to her, and she took it completely the wrong way. Russel could be blunt, Raven understood that, and even she knew bluntness can offend people. But what if bluntness was natural to Russel? It would be alien and offensive to everyone else.

It took a while for Raven to process all this and fit it into what she knew. Crack's had formed in her own, cold mask. Her frown was much more 'frowny', and her eyes had become a little more sympathetic and less accusatory. Though she felt sympathy, she wasn't about to let him off the hook. Just because he was autistic it doesn't mean he was totally innocent of wrong doing.

"What about Lisa?" Raven asked. Russel sighed again and ran a hand through his hair.

"I was ten, we all do dumb stuff when we're young, especially an autistic kid. Kid's are practically allowed to do dumb stuff because we don't know how to behave, its how children can be such a pain." Raven would agree with that, "I was caught and rightfully punished. It was explained to me why it was wrong, so I later learnt to stop doing it."

"And Sarah?" Russel sighed again.

"I was young. I was stupid. I liked Sarah, and we did begin going out. Unfortunately, at the time, I didn't know the first thing about talking to a girl I was attracted to, I didn't want to make a mistake. So I took advice from the one person I should not have. My brother. You've seen him, he's a muscle head, but I didn't know that at the time, we don't usually hang out. I asked him his advice, he told me what to do. I did it, it didn't work, I messed it all up, it drove Sarah away."

"You didn't..." Raven motioned with her hands to indicate.

"NO!" Russel said in a raised voice, "I may be autistic but I was taught well enough to never to go that far. All I did was take advice from my brother on what to say to her to keep her interested. It backfired. My brother could boast about how he 'went out with all the girls he went out with' at school, but it never occurred to me to wonder why they always left him. It was just bad advice that I followed, it didn't work so I stopped doing it." Russel shook his head. "I tried to change myself and I shouldn't have. But Sarah, for some reason, still wants me to pay for just being awkward at flirting."

"Then why do you keep sending her threatening text messages?" Raven said, she was feeling sympathy for him and she didn't want to. She can't back out now, the girls will be here soon.

"Text messages? Raven, I don't even own a mobile phone." Raven's face dropped its cold mask.

"What?" That didn't make sense.

"I've never owned one. I don't like them. The ability to be contacted twenty-four-seven just creeps me out." Raven didn't know what to ask after that. Though she did think it weird how in all their time together he'd never asked Raven what her number was. True, she didn't own a mobile phone either, but still.

"Prove to me you don't own a cell phone!"

"How can I prove I don't own a cell phone? That's like asking to prove the Loch Ness Monster doesn't exist. You can't prove a negative." Raven didn't know what to ask. "Look," and Russel began turning out his pockets. Apart from a wallet, his drawing book, some pencils, a small book, some pocket lint, spare change and some candies there was no trace of a cell phone. He even turned out his pockets to prove they were empty.

There was also no crystal in his pockets.

"Then how does Sarah have texts from you?" Raven asked, expecting him to know the answer.

"I don't know." That wasn't good enough. Russel put the items back in his pockets and when Raven maintained that accusing look on her face he spoke softly and sadly. "I've told you the truth, I knew you wouldn't believe it." Silence passed between them for a good few seconds. Raven didn't relax her accusing eyes. Russel sighed deeply, his eyes betraying his deep sadness. Shame continued to ring in Raven's mind. Russel again turned around and began walking away from her. "Goodbye, Raven. It was... it was fun while it lasted." Those words just broke her steely demeanour.

"Wait!" She called, reaching out for him despite him being too far away. He stopped, but didn't turn to face her. "Please, look at me." Slowly, as if this was a chore for him, he did so. She needed to ask him about the missing crystal. He was the only suspect in that. "I get you have autism, and I believe you, but I..."

THWACK!

Russel fell to the muddy ground as Antonia had just smacked him over the head with a heavy branch.

* * *

Russel was dragged over to a wall and tied up with zip-ties to a loose pipe with his arms above him, his legs spread out underneath him on the soggy ground.

As they tied him up Raven was unsure if she really wanted to go through with this. Russel had put doubts in her head. She wanted to believe him, but she didn't know if she did. She believed Antonia and the girls, but she wondered if she should. A lot of the anger she'd felt that made her feel this was justified was now gone.

Was that girl his niece? She didn't know. He certainly didn't have a cell phone with him, and Antonia never did pinpoint an actual moment that she decided she hated Russel. Raven could understand trying to be social, making mistakes and having to pay for them for the rest of your life, but did that apply here? Or was Russel lying?

Better to let this happen, just in case. He'll get over it, maybe he'll learn from it, and Antonia and the girls will be satisfied. Maybe the creature Raven and the Doctor were hunting will be pacified. Surely, there was no harm in letting this go through from her perspective. If she stepped in and tried to stop it then she'd receive the girls wrath. She might be kicked out of the little group she liked. She had everything to lose by interfering, and little to gain except a boy whom she didn't know if she could trust.

Lisa held up the video camera and checked the tape. The three girls giggled and planned what they were going to do to Russel when he woke up. This didn't feel right to Raven. Something was telling her something was wrong, but she kept pushing that voice away, constantly reminding herself what she had to lose if she stood in their way.

It was a good few hours before he began to wake up, groggily.

"Where am I?" He asked and he spotted Antonia, "Oh no, why won't you leave me alone?"

"Rise and shine." Antonia hissed. Lisa rolled the camera. "It's time for payback."

"Payback for what?" Russel said, "I don't know what I did for you to hate me!"

Antonia smacked him across the face. "LIAR! You took everything from me."

Russel now realised he was handcuffed quite securely to the wall. He also realised he was being recorded, and he now looked to Raven. His face was pleading with her to stop this, but Raven knew it was just an act. She knew it was just an act, just an act. He was a horrid person, and he deserved this. He deserved this, he deserved it.

"Russel 'Hopkins'" Antonia said the last word to highlight it. "I wonder if you are related to the Witch-Finder General. I read that he was a bit rapey. I think it's fitting that we're here, where Mathew Hopkins killed dozens of women fearing them to be witches."

"I'm not related to Mathew Hopkins." Russel said, but Antonia didn't seem to care. Raven guessed it was kind of poetic justice, or it would've been if Russel was related to the old Witch-Finder.

Antonia, rather creepily, rested her hands-on Russels legs and slowly began undoing his shoelaces before gently pulling them off. Then she went for his belt. "Let the humiliation begin!" and sharply she undid his belt and pulled off his trousers, they were pulled inside out as she pulled them off him, exposing him in his underwear. All the while, the camera kept recording. They were going to send copies to his university and totally humiliate him.

They began squirting him with water, spitting on him, even throwing rocks at him. He was clearly in distress and it was getting harder for Raven to stomach this. He looked at her, pleading for her to make this stop. Her mask had slipped, she was showing concern, she knew. Did he really deserve this to happen to him? He wasn't the person the girls said he was, if he had at one time been like that then he had clearly changed. Which didn't make this punishment, it made it just vindictive revenge.

Looking at the girls, they clearly enjoyed this too much. Antonia then took Russels drawing pad, the one she'd stolen and made him watch as she lit a lighter and began burning it. When it was on fire she threw it into the mud and watch it shrivel away.

Looking back at Russel as he was helplessly assaulted Raven suddenly had a vision. A memory. Looking between the legs of many people, being pummelled by gym bags, desperately looking between the legs of her attackers at her 'friends' who stood and watched this happen. _'Why won't they help me?!'_ Raven remembered thinking, _'What did I do to hurt them? To hurt my friend's? To turn them against me?'_ Raven knew the answer was nothing, she'd done nothing. They'd just been manipulated by Dolores purely because the big bitch didn't like Rachel, Raven's counterpart. Her friends didn't step in, just in case the assault was deserved.

Just in case... Just in case...

The demon girl felt emotions radiate from him. Misery, depression, anxiety, thoughts of suicide. She caught a glimpse of Russel's face under the assault. He was crying. He was crying and the girls were pointing and laughing at his misery.

Raven's lower lip began to quiver. _Oh god... No... Please no._

"Sarah," Raven asked out of Lisa and Antonia's earshot. "Can I see your phone. I need a little motivation before... before I do something."

Sarah looked suspicious, Raven had a shameful tone to her voice, but Sarah did as Raven asked and dug her phone out of her pocket. "One second, I need to send a quick text." After tapping away she handed her phone over to Raven on the messages. They were all nasty, vial, and would paint a very sinister, evil person.

While Sarah was distracted, Raven clicked back into the menu. Sarah had said she was texting someone, but no text had been sent recently. The last one was to 'Mum'. So what was she doing a second ago with her phone? Curiously, looking through this new phone no messages had been sent to Antonia. Also, rather oddly, Sarah had called Russel a few times herself. Why was she doing that? Raven felt fear grip her stomach as she went back onto Russel's messages. She now noticed the Russel contact had been misspelt as 'R-u-s-s-l-e' when it had been correct before.

"Is something wrong?" Sarah asked, she was moving like an animal about to be caught. What Raven did next she did too fast for Sarah to stop her. Raven hit the button to 'CALL RUSSLE.' Instantly, Sarah tried to snatch the phone away.

"Don't call him, I'll be charged." She screamed. Raven held the phone out of her reach, she had to know. She had to be certain.

Despite Russel not having a phone on his person a phone began to ring, both Sarah and Raven stopped fighting. "Sarah, why are you calling me?" said Antonia, who'd moved away to answer the call. The call to her own phone.

Antonia looked like a deer in headlights when she saw Raven holding Sarah's phone. Numbly, Raven pressed to cancel the call and the ringing from Antonia's phone stopped.

Raven's face fell, and the penny had dropped and with a horrible clang. She couldn't believe it. They were supposed to be her friends. She looked to Russel, he was battered and beaten. His tear-filled, bloodshot eyes met hers.

 _They'd lied! They lied about all of it... Oh God..._ _What have I done?!_

* * *

"He still deserves it." Antonia said, "Alright, we lied. But he really is the nasty piece of work we told you about. We just needed to push you in the right direction to get you out of his life."

Raven couldn't believe this, it was just such a stretch, yet Antonia, Sarah and Lisa were admitting they conspired to pull her and Russel apart through fair of fowl.

"But he's different," Raven said.

"It's an act, a lie!" Antonia spat.

"He admitted he made mistakes and learnt from them," Raven said.

"That's precisely what an abuser like him would say." Sarah said, "'Oh, I can always change.' But they never do. Eastenders taught me that, and Russel reminds me of Travor Morgan."

"You do know he has Asperger's syndrome, right?" Antonia laughed.

"No, he doesn't!" Antonia said, "That's just an excuse for his behaviour. I've seen autistic people, Russel is not autistic! It's just something he picked up from his mother!" It was an explanation, but Raven wasn't so sure it was true. She had felt a brain abnormality when she'd healed Russel last, and a lot of his behaviour was odd. "He's a grown-ass adult and should take responsibility for his actions, and what he says. He's not some autistic kid!" Raven looked unconvinced, but she felt pressured from the looks the girls were giving her.

"He tried to trick me too." Sarah said, "But I learnt about autism from Russel's mum, and Antonia helped me see how he couldn't have autism. He acts too normal."

"What about masking?" Raven asked. The three girls burst out laughing.

"That doesn't exist. Autistic people can't just learn how to be 'normal' they're stuck like that!" Antonia laughed, "I never thought you'd be so gullible." Raven, again had doubts, she might not understand this autism thing, but there was no guarantee Antonia spoke the truth. Russel made it sound like a condition nearly everybody misunderstood, could Antonia have wrong information?

Come to think of it, if this was something Russel was likely to claim about himself then why not mention it to her before? Tell her that Russel would claim to have Aspergers to win her sympathy. Why not tell her at the start? The answer came. It was because Raven would've further read up on the condition, and if she did then Raven would probably start forgiving the social mistakes he made; his odd behaviour, and thus make it more difficult to sway Raven to Antonia's side.

"I know what it felt like to be under his spell," Sarah said, almost patronisingly. "But trust me, you'll do better to get away from his lies."

"Did you... did you love him?" Raven asked Sarah.

"Yeah, I did, until Antonia opened my eyes to him. He's nothing more than a creep." That kind of cut close to the bone for Raven.

"He's not creepy, he's just different." She argued back looking down at him.

"Antonia showed me otherwise." Sarah said confidently.

"How?"

"She showed me a load of horrid messages he'd sent her." Alarm bells rang in Raven's head.

"But he doesn't have a cell phone." That shut Sarah up.

"Huh?" Sarah looked taken aback. She looked to Antonia, then back to Raven with regained composure. She clearly didn't believe Russel didn't own a mobile phone, if she accepted that, then she'd have to accept Antonia lied to her too.

"He's still nasty." Sarah said that as if it was the final word on the matter. Now Raven was feeling anger. She began to suspect something.

"Do you believe that? Or..." Raven's eyes moved from Sarah to Antonia and back again. It was a subtle movement, but that communication was enough to finish Raven's thought for her.

"Raven, shut up and piss off. You're out of the club, you are no longer our friend!" Antonia fumed. "How dare you take his side over ours, after everything we did for you!" Sarah and Lisa nodded in agreement.

"But this shouldn't be a question of loyalty. You lied to me!" But Raven knew that wouldn't convince them as she felt the knife stab into her. She'd lost her friends, again.

Raven's attention returned to Russel. She felt wretched. She didn't know if Antonia's hatred of him was truly justified. But Raven now knew the boy didn't deserve this treatment.

"Let him go!" Raven commanded. "I don't care what he did to you. This isn't punishment, it's just petty, childish revenge." The combination of those words irked Antonia. So much so Raven found herself on the floor, in the mud with a red mark across her face as Antonia had smacked her down into the mud.

"Bitch!" Antonia spat. The three kicked dirt at her and she shielded herself by curling into a ball. They threw things at her for a good while until they were convinced she was going to stay down. Then they left her and returned to torment Russel.

 _You just had to defend that mortal, didn't you? You idiot!_ She chastised herself. _You just had to defend him, now you've lost your friends._

 _But what they were doing was wrong!_

 _Was it worth losing your friends for that boy? He's a freak! You had three friends, and you've traded them in for him?!_

 _It was still wrong._

 _The pain you feel is all your own fault. Your own, foolish fault!_

 _No, I will not accept that!_

* * *

Raven followed Gallrick down into the lower levels of the Temple. What did he need help with down here?

"What do you need help with?" Raven asked.

"You'll see." He was being secretive. A little too coldly secretive. Something wasn't right, but despite alarms ringing in her head she still went with it.

Eventually they emerged into the crypt, where monks are buried following their deaths. There was a lot of psychic energy billowing out from the dead corpses. Enough to shield whatever was about to happen. Raven didn't like this, and yet she still went along with it hoping she was just being a good friend.

Raven saw them. Cal, Andra and Maniplier. They were busy at one of the stone sarcophaguses trying to open it up. It was a highly punishable offence to open these tombs. The monks were to be left to rest in peace.

Raven started to back out, but Gallrick was at her back and pushed her into the centre of the room.

The three other, teenage monks turned to her. Though their expressionless faces there was a gleam of malice.

"Wh… what's going on?" Raven asked, now on her guard and ready to defend herself.

"We know what you are." Andra said as if that should mean anything to Raven.

"We know where you come from." Cal then said.

"It's because of your kind that we live in fear." Maniplier said.

"What are you talking about?" Raven turned to Gallrick who was looking at her with sorrowful, but yet, not sorrowful eyes. "Gallrick. What's going on?"

"You never told me what you were." Gallrick said. "Did you think I'd never find out, demon?"

"Demon? I'm not a demon?" Raven said.

"Don't lie to me." Gallrick said, his eyes becoming darker. "My father was killed by your kind. Only a demon tries to keep such vial creatures as pets."

"Raving Raven keeps spiders as pets." Andra mocked. Raven winced at the name. They were surrounding her. She could feel their psychic presence trying to smoother her, trying to bring her to her knees.

"Stop it!" Raven cried, "Stop it please." Her brain was under assault telepathically. Then pain, a sharp pain as a loose stone was flung at her and it caught her in the back of the head.

"Kill the demon!" Andra shouted

"Kill the demon." Cal shouted

"Kill the demon." Maniplier shouted.

Gallrick hesitated, for just a second, "Kill the demon." And Raven was being pelted under the assault.

"You're not a real person!" Andra said.

"You're evil!" Cal shouted.

Raven turned to Gallrick through her tear streaming eye. "I just wanted a friend…"

Gallrick looked conflicted, he looked to Andra, Cal, and Maniplier before turning back to Raven. His eyes were cold and accusatory again. Raven could feel the hate radiate from him, but under that hate she could sense a spark, a small spark that caused the hate. That spark was fear. Gallrick feared her. Why did Gallrick fear her? What did she ever do to him? "You are a demon!" Gallrick said at last. "What am I supposed to do with a demon friend?"

Again, the pelting started. The assaults on her brain. The four monks stood and stared at her, not attacking her with their fists, but with their powers.

"KILL THE DEMON, KILL THE DEMON, KILL THE DEMON!"

"But I'm not a demon!"

"KILL THE DEMON, KILL THE DEMON, KILL THE DEMON! KILL THE EVIL, KILL THE EVIL!"

"But I'm not evil…" The stress… it bubbled up inside her.

"WE HATE DEMONS, WE HATE EVIL, WE HATE TRIGON THE DESTORYER!"

What have I got to do with Trigon? Raven wanted to ask verbally, but she never got the chance to speak. She just curled up into a ball and tried to take all this. _I'm not evil, I'm not evil. Why won't you leave me alone?_

She could feel all these powerful emotions. Fear, and hate, but what was most powerful was their anger. They were angry at her. Why? What did she even do? This wasn't just bullying for the sake of it. This was blind rage.

 _What… did I… do…?_ Raven sobbed into her mind. Inside her mind she was screaming.

 _My head!_ It felt like her brain was bubbling!

Her eyes snapped open. This was a new sensation. Deep within her. It was rage, but not a blind rage. This was like a calm rage, a cold rage, a focused rage. The room was bathed with a red light that Raven did not realise was coming from her eyes.

The four stepped back away from the girl.

"See is a demon!" Andra said.

The four charged their powers and attempted to strike. But it was but a mere breeze compared to what Raven unleashed. Darkness, that was what she unleashed on them, just utter darkness.

The four were lifted up off the ground, their bodies encased in darkness as she handled them like dolls. Her clawed hands extended as she prepared to inflict damage upon them.

Raven never got to do anything as she was knocked to the ground by an equally powerful blast. She was forced to the floor like a giant boot had stepped on her. From behind her the old crone Kalesha emerged from the shadows.

"What's going on down here?" She roared

Andra pointed, "She's trying to desecrate this place."

"LIAR!" Raven roared and tried to lash out.

"SILENCE!" Kalesha roared, but her powers clearly had trouble keeping the enraged Raven down as she squirmed. "Is this true?" The crone then asked of Gallrick. He looked from her, to his new friends, then to Raven, the demon.

"Yes," He affirmed.

"LIAR! YOU FRICKIN' LIAR!" Raven broke free and shot towards Gallrick floating with her powers, fingers read to rip his eyes out. She was caught by Kalesha's powers and held back, even she looked a little worried as Raven's arms lashed forwards trying to rip Gallrick apart and falling too short. "I DID NOTHING TO YOU. I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TO YOU!" Raven shouted, "I LIKED YOU, I THOUGHT YOU WERE MY FRIEND, I'D NEVER HAVE HURT YOU, NEVER, EVER! WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME? WHY? WHAT DID I DO TO YOU? WHAT? WHAT? WHAT?!" Raven screamed like a banshee. Gallrick didn't reply, he just took a step back. "I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU!" Raven snarled as tears streamed down her cheeks, "I'LL KILL YOU, I'LL KILL YOU, I'LL KILL YOU! YOU FRICKIN' BASTARD!"

* * *

Raven's eyes snapped open. This had all happened before, just the other way around.

She remembered the time she'd spent with Gallrick. She'd felt so happy and he'd tossed her aside for the stupidest of reasons. Did Russel think that way about her now? She remembered her time with Russel, she'd felt so happy, so secure, and she just couldn't believe she'd thrown it all away to be friends with a bunch of people who's bond of friendship was so fickle.

 _I've become Gallrick!_ And she couldn't think of a worse thing to be right now.

The demon girl stayed down feeling sorry for herself, until she heard Russel scream in pain. One of the girls had thrown a stone at him!

Her eyes snapped open.

Her mind suddenly focused. Every strike, every scream of pain Raven could feel. Every laugh, every expression of joy from the girls just added to her anger. Just looking at what was happening made dark memories, long forgotten memories bubble to the surface. Her eyes narrowed in cold hatred, and a low growl of the evil inside escaped her vocal cords.

Slowly Raven stood, her hood now casting her face into shadow. As if to show what was about to happen dark clouds were gathering, but they weren't there by Raven's command, it was just the weather.

"Release him!" She said to the girls in a low, carrying voice. There was also the hint of a slight growl. The beast within wanted to attack, but she refused to let it unleash its full fury.

"Piss off you!" Lisa spat.

"Release him! Or I will make you!" Raven threatened. Lisa laughed and walked over to Raven, cracking her knuckles. She tried to look big and imposing, and Raven admitted to herself that Lisa was. But there was a hint of nervousness to the big girl, because Raven was not breaking eye contact, she wasn't blinking, and she was not backing down. "Release him and back off. I could bring you down with just a single word." Raven hissed.

"Oh yeah, you think words will hurt me?" She laughed, cracking her knuckles, "Sticks and stones may break my bones."

"No. I can't do it with a single word, you're right." Her eyes were like lasers drilling into this muscle-bound menace who called herself a girl. "I just need three." Lisa began to laugh. The big girl grabbed the front of Raven's hoodie to keep her still, Raven did not react to being grabbed and did not break eye contact. Lisa spat onto her knuckles and raised her fist.

"Give me your best shot. Then I thump you." Raven closed her eyes, she didn't want to, but Raven herself couldn't take on these girls, but 'the Monster' could. An ethereal breeze began to emanate out from Raven's core, and the temperature began to drop. Raven spoke her three words slowly.

"Azarath..." a dark aura formed around her. Her hoodie and clothes reformed themselves and became her usual attire, hood up.

"...Metrion..." Her cloak started to billow out in the ethereal wind. Her arms raised up into the proper positions to cast spells.

She opened her eyes, they glowed brighter than the sun, her voice became chillingly unearthly.

"...Zinthos!" Lisa's punch never came.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** Another thing I wanted to do in this story was put Raven in the mirrored, opposite problem she faced while in the Land of Fiction when her friends refused to help her. So she can probably understand why they wouldn't help her and what was possibly going through their heads at the time. Only Raven here decided to be better than them.

It also is something sobering to happen to her, because sometimes we forget our moral lessons and allow things to happen purely because we are paralysed in fear of the social consequences of interfering. Some 'friends' will use the threat of removing the friendship if you refuse to do what they say. Those who can be twisted so easily can often try to dismiss injustices from our brains, purely because it's not happening to us, so why care. I reasoned Raven would not be one to suffer this because she knows what it's like to be someone's bad guy. Now she knows that though friendships feel good, you shouldn't be so thirsty for them that you end up drinking from a poisoned source.

This will also explain why it took so long for her to warm to her friends in the Teen Titan's origin episode. It took literal seasons to open up, because she was still unsure if they truly were her friends.

 **[EDITS 19/Dec/2019]:** Altered some of the dialogue between Russel and Raven with regard to his relationship with Sarah, because I later realised I painted a picture I really didn't mean to paint.

 **[EDITS] 11/Jan/2020]:** Edited in the bits about Russel being autistic.


	75. Chapter 74, I can't be fixed

**Chapter 74**

 **I can't be fixed.**

Sarah and Antonia were both startled to see Lisa fly backwards into the stone wall and crumple to the floor. The two girls spun around as Raven raised her arms again to cast another spell.

"Take your hands off my stuff." Raven said, her voice ethereal. All three girls didn't know what to think of the pale girl with glowing eyes and a dark aura around her. "Or I will break you."

Antonia and Sarah stepped forward. Raven didn't let them take a step closer as her powers grabbed both of them by the throat and haul them up off the ground. They were held there for a few seconds before Raven dropped them. She had their attention.

Russel was looking at her with a look that was half awed and half frightened, Raven didn't want to frighten him, but if this stopped Antonia from assaulting him then she'll accept whatever fear or hatred he may now have of her.

"What are you, a Witch... I mean, a Wizard?" Antonia asked, changing the word to a more friendly one. But no amount of sweet-talk was going to change Raven's opinion of her.

"'Witch' is the word." Raven confirmed.

"You can't side with him! He's nasty!" Antonia said.

"Yeah, he's a bully." Lisa added.

"He hurt me!" Sarah also said.

Raven remained silent, her cold eyes just stared at them with a 'don't you mess with me' kind of look.

"Leave!" She warned. "Leave, and never come back. Never approach this mortal again, never speak of Russel again. Forget he even exists."

"But he needs to be punished!" Antonia insisted, "His own mum won't punish him, just because she's been convinced of his lies. He's NOT autistic!" Raven didn't answer, she'd said her piece about it. Russel had already been punished. To Raven, a punishment was supposed to teach and make people learn to behave properly. It should never be done for someone else's emotional satisfaction. Even though there were times she felt like breaking that rule herself.

"That wasn't a request. It was an order." Raven's cloaked form began to elongate, and sinister, dark tentacles sprouted from under her cloak. "I am Raven, I am in charge. That mortal belongs to me. Lay another finger on him and I will strip your flesh from your bones. Now go."

The girls hesitated, but slowly began moving. They looked back at Russel and Raven got the sense they were going to come back for him later. So Raven added to their fear.

"Remember," the darkness started eating up all corners of the foundations. Dark, cold purple eyes opened up from the wall. Two at first, followed by four, eight, seventeen, until Raven's eyes were everywhere. "Every move you make, I will see." Two giant eyes opened up taking up one entire wall. "Every word you utter, I will hear." The girls screamed. "I will know if you come near my stuff again."

The girls were totally freaking out. They retreated up the steps and hopped the railing. They looked back and saw Raven's elongated form flowing up after them. Her cloaked form mimicked that of a coiling snake hunting prey. They ran, again screaming as they went. Raven had to admit, she loved this. The three girls stopped at the gate of the cemetery and looked back at the floating elongating form of Raven as it snaked between the tombstones. Raven felt their fear, and they ran.

Did she go too far? Perhaps she did, Raven sometimes got carried away.

With the girls gone, Raven returned to her normal shape. It was weird elongating her form like that, knowing that her feet stayed where they are while the rest of her body followed her head. With her hood still up, her eyes still cold and intense, Raven held out her hand and Russel's bonds broke, the liquid and dirted he'd been covered with was cleaned up and Russel's trousers and shoes materialised back on him.

He got up, wary of the small girl in the cloak. Despite Raven feeling 'happy' that he was now safe her face looked cold and expressionless.

"They won't bother you again." Raven said, sounding emotionally distant. His drawing book was carried over to him, covered in darkness and gingerly he took it from the air.

"Is that you, Raven?" He asked.

"Yes." Raven said matter-of-factly. Raven tried and succeed in keeping her face a blank mask as her feelings swam around inside her. "I'm... I'm sorry. I thought... Does this change anything?"

Something about Russel had changed. Though the way he held himself was the same the difference was in the face. Raven had seen that face before. The slight frown, the intense, yet emotionally dead eyes. It sent a shiver up her spine. He wasn't scared, so that was something at least, but he certainly wasn't feeling any affection for her.

Raven broke eye contact and looked into a puddle at her feet. She could see her broken reflection in it. "I'm sorry."

Russel sighed deeply, then slowly he turned and began walking away from her. He walked up the steps and left the ruins. He headed off, not towards the town, but towards the forest.

Though remaining cold, Raven reached out for him to come back to her. But he didn't stop. Raven floated up above the foundations and she watched as he vanished between the trees and into the shadows to be alone.

 _Oh man, did I ever blow it!_

* * *

Raven did follow Russel for a little, she hovered above the ground so as not to alert him. He found the spot overlooking a lake where they had spent some time together earlier. He sat down against a tree. He looked like he was thinking, quite solemnly. Raven wanted to approach, to see if he was okay. But Raven hesitated, she knew whenever she was like this she just wanted to be left alone for a while to think and articulate her thoughts. So she left him to think. She knew where he was, he'd talk to her when he was ready.

Never having any real friends before, to Raven it just felt natural for friends to band together and support each other. She should've recognised that friends can also manipulate you, they can lead you to a place and do horrid things to you.

Her thoughts when to James Driftwood back in Whitby. The cruel tale he'd told of how a girl had led him to a secluded place so trouble makers could beat him up. Only in this case, Raven had been the girl leading Russel to the slaughter. She was glad she changed her mind and stood up for him, but the scary thing was before she'd found out the truth she was willing to allow it to happen. Just in case it was true. Just in case...

As Raven walked back into town Raven felt a tremor in the ether, and it was big, and it was in a particular direction. The Devils Hump!

Oh shit, the monster, she'd forgotten about it, and by what she could feel it had woken up!

Forgetting about blending in, Raven took to the sky and sailed towards the Devils Hump as fast as her powers could carry her. As she looked down she saw the distinctive shape of the Doctors purple car ploughing through a crop field, racing away from a shimmering image that was churning up the ground.

The Doctor's car spun to the left, and the creature went too far, missing the tight turn and fell over, but it was fast getting up. Raven took this opportunity and materialised inside the cab of the car.

"You just can't stay out of trouble, can you?" She said rather coldly, partially glad to be where she's most comfortable. In a life or death fight against a monster.

"Raven!" The Doctor cried, "How nice of you to drop in."

"You need help, or have you got this?" She subtly mocked him, knowing full well he was in danger.

"I could use some breathing space, yes." The Doctor said, making another sharp turn. "I was just at the Devils Hump gathering readings when the creature suddenly became active." The car bounced around on loose soil, so much so Raven had to fasten her seatbelt with her power. "Raven, did anything happen in the last twenty minutes? Anything particularly traumatic to someone?"

"Yeah, I scared three girls out of their wits." The Doctor gave her a disapproving look. She just shrugged cooly. "They were asking for it."

"You were supposed to make friends!" The Doctor chastised.

"Friends are over-rated." Raven said, "I do like to scare assholes, though."

"Raven, you might have aggravated it!" The Doctor scolded, "who was it? You need to get them to calm down!"

"No." Raven refused, no way was she going to try to pacify those three bitches. But, what if it wasn't Antonia? The creature made a swipe at them, but Raven pushed the car forwards with her power just enough for it to miss them.

What if it was? It might make sense, it might be him.

"I think I know who's causing this." Raven looked at him, "Doctor, he's ignorant of it, he's not a bad person."

"I never said he was." The Doctor said, "but he needs to let go of whatever he's feeling to hold this creature in existence."

From her seat, Raven reached out, and took the car by it's four wheels. Her hands gripped the air like she was clinging to the four wheels, and with a great heave of her hands, she raised them upwards. The car left the ground and sored into the air, out of the creatures reach.

"Haha!" The Doctor laughed, "This is just like the Ford Angular in the Chamber of Secrets!"

"Will that creature be safe there?" Raven asked.

"If we lead it to the edge of the psychic pool then it will gradually dissipate, like a hurricane hitting the shore." The Doctor said, and so Raven carried the car over fields and rivers until the creature began to wear out and fade from existence. "It won't stay that way, it'll manifest again once it gets some psychic backpressure. Pooling psychic energy can be relentless like that. I'd give it a couple of hours before it's back to full strength."

Raven put the car down at the edge of the forest she knew Russel was brooding in. The ground was reasonably solid, though the car's tyres sank into the ground. She got out of the car, the Doctor making an effort to follow with his devices.

"Doctor, I need to do this alone." Raven said.

"Rae-Rae, don't be silly, we can fight this together." He said, like the protective father.

"Alone, Doctor. This..." she swallowed, "This is something personal."

"Raven, please don't hurt him." Raven shot him a look.

"I'm not going to hurt him. I need to talk to him. Alone. He needs to understand. Please." The Doctor clearly had no clue what she was talking about, but he nodded an understanding nod and let Raven go on ahead.

As Raven went into the forest she heard the Doctor distinctly mutter to himself. "Why do I suddenly feel like a companion in my own travels?"

* * *

Raven found the brooding teen right where she'd left him. He looked like he was either writing or drawing, she couldn't tell. There was the general air of sadness to him, yet he didn't put off the air of someone who was emotionally upset. The image he painted was quite stoic in nature. He was gently scribbling away in his sketchbook.

Though his exterior was stoic, Raven could sense some turmoil in his mind he was fighting down. What had happened to him had deeply unsettled him. Stirred up emotions long forgotten, scars long buried. And his face. That cold mask he was now wearing. No, that wasn't a mask. The mask he'd worn had been stripped away. What she could see was Russel at his core. A core he was deeply ashamed of, a core he'd been desperate to bury.

Raven kind of felt a little eerily creeped out by how similar this all felt to her.

The goth girl approached and stood in front of him. He was aware she was there as he stopped scribbling, but he didn't speak. He was too focused.

"Russel," he stopped. Oh great, what was she supposed to do? She was terrible at this sort of stuff. "Can I sit down?"

"Knock yourself out." He said with the cold disinterest of a calculator. Raven decided not to sit next to him, instead, she sat apart from him against the same tree. They stared off into different directions. Not a word passed between them for a good few minutes before Raven spoke.

"I'm sorry." She swallowed. "I just... I..." She tried to get her thoughts straight in her head. "I know how you must be feeling. How you must think of me."

"Must I?" he asked, there was no emotion in his voice.

"I didn't know the full story. I trusted people I hardly knew to tell me the truth." Raven paused in thought. "I thought I could be friends with both you and them." Raven took in a deep breath before speaking. "But I know now, they were never really my friends to start with. They only tolerated me. They were just using me to get to you."

Russel's arms relaxed. He angled the sketch pad so Raven couldn't see what he was drawing.

"Why did you believe them? Wasn't there any doubt in your mind?" Russel asked.

"Yes, there was. There always was. That's why I didn't turn on you instantly. That's why I kept seeing you behind their back. I just didn't anticipate the depths they'd go to, to pull us apart." Raven bent her legs and brought them up to her so she could lean her arms on them. "You became distant with me recently. I thought something was wrong. But I didn't know you have Aspergers syndrome. Why didn't you just tell me?" She didn't know why she said that, she knew why he didn't want to tell her. Raven didn't want to tell people she was practically the daughter of the devil for similar reasons. Not only would they not understand, they'd assume she was as dark and evil as her father and would influence how they'd treat her. From what little she understood of Aspergers syndrome before she'd found out Russel had it, Raven did have a view of someone who was half brain dead, possibly needed care twenty-four seven, impossible to reason with and ultimately dangerous to be near or around. But Russel was mostly normal, provided he got enough sleep to be conscious. He needed to manage his Aspergers the same way she needed to manage her powers, or else they'd give off the wrong impression of who she was.

She realised Russel wasn't talking. "I wouldn't have hated you." She added tenderly.

More silence in the air as black clouds moved above the trees.

"I thought I had it masked." Russel said, "I thought I could pass as a normal human-being. I thought no one would ever notice. But it's always when it comes to my partners does my mask fail to make me look human."

"You can be kind of awkward," Raven said consciously putting a lighter tone to her voice like the Doctor would.

Russel's nose gave a small snort. Was that a laugh?

"What made you suddenly believe me?" He now asked.

"I don't know." Raven sighed, "I think it's because I understood what happened. A similar thing happened to me a while back. My friends turned against me, and they watched as I was assaulted. I... I cried for their help, and they just stood and watched it happen." Raven didn't need to spell it out, she hoped he understood that she'd been in his situation before. "I don't even know what was said to them to make them turn on me, they wouldn't tell me themselves, they acted like it didn't need to be said, they thought I already knew."

"That's my life pretty much." Russel said, "they always assume you know what you're doing, they think the 'vibe' you're giving off is intentional when all you're doing is trying to live. They may see you as a monster, but you're a monster who's trying so hard to act like a human being."

Raven turned and looked at him, an eery feeling of Deja Vu in her stomach.

Russel then said in a sombre tone. "You had to know at some point they'd make you choose. Who would you have chosen between them and me?"

Raven sighed, "I'd be torn. But I don't think the girls really liked me anyway. I kind of got that vibe from them at least. They only tolerated me because I had something to offer them."

"That's a very indirect way of saying it." Russel said deadpan, or was it even meant to be deadpan? The edge of Raven's lip twitched.

"That's just the way I am." Raven said, "I'm just so used to something bad happening to me the moment I get within a sniff of happiness. I'm just looking for a reason for it to fall apart so I..." She paused to think as she focused on a muddy patch on the ground. "You were pulling me out of my comfort zone. I was enjoying it, don't get me wrong. But..." she paused again to think, "I was just scared being outside my box for so long."

Why wouldn't Russel speak? She wanted him to speak. When he didn't speak, she did.

"When I first met you, I felt something I wasn't used to. Something I've never properly felt before. I didn't know how to process it. I wanted to pull away, but I felt compelled to push on, just to know what this 'love' thing felt like."

Russel laughed a little. "Are you sure you don't have Aspergers yourself?"

It felt like Raven's brain had crashed for a second. She'd not really thought about it. "I'm already so screwed up, maybe I do."

"You know, when I first met you I thought you were just another customer. A funny-looking girl who just wanted my services as an artist. But I could see something in you. I saw someone who looked and sounded how I felt deep inside. I liked you, but I didn't know how to approach you, so I'd resigned myself to just being friends." Oh man, so many echoes went through Raven's head.

"I thought you'd do the same to me." Raven admitted, "I thought you'd reject me when you saw my core. I just wanted to be friends too, but I..." Raven swallowed as she re-thought what she was about to say, "I felt like I could open up to you. I could tell you my entire story and I just had this feeling you wouldn't judge, that you'd understand, and you wouldn't push me away, hurt or reject me." What made her feel a tad guilty was that she still didn't trust him with the knowledge that she was a demons daughter.

"Then my Apsergers kicked in?" Russel asked, "It's okay. I know. I became distant, and that hurt."

"Yes," Raven admitted.

"I'm sorry." Russel said.

"It's not your fault." Raven added.

"But I do feel guilty. You were looking for something else from me. I'd happily give it, but it's something I'm not wired to understand or see."

"I don't think I am either." Raven said sadly.

Gently, Russel passed his drawing book over to her, the one she'd given him, the one with the wolf on it. She took it and looked at the drawing. It was of Raven, in her usual leotard attire. She looked relaxed, content, subtly smiling, power flowing around her from her hands with planets and stars swarming around her. It brought a smile to her face, it was so charming that he saw her this way. He definitely could show affection, just not in the conventional way.

"When were you going to tell me about those abilities of yours?" Raven was hoping not to bring them up.

"My powers? I was born with them." Raven hesitated, she still didn't want to tell him in case he really did reject her. For now, her secret powers were enough to tell him about. She'll tell him about Trigon later. "But I... I don't want them, I hate them, I can't be normal because of them. But I can't get rid of them. I've been trying to suppress them, but they always find a way out."

"So the creature in the forest, that was you?"

"No." Raven said calmly, it was a reasonable question so she didn't take offence. "That's something else entirely. I think it's something or someone like me, but doesn't nearly have the same control as I do." Raven looked at him. Silence passed between them. "Would... this have changed anything?"

"Why do you think it would've?" He asked her.

"You being a none believer."

"That doesn't mean I'm closed minded. If it was a trick then it was a very complex one, and I know you can't even pull off the old penny behind the ear trick, never mind something like that." Raven held back the laugh but couldn't stop a little smile on her lips. "Why do you want to suppress them?"

"Why do you want to mask your autism?" Raven asked back as gently as she could so he'd understand. "Because I can't control them. In moments of extreme emotion my powers fly out of control. I can hurt people. I just want to be normal, and I thought removing my powers would make me normal. But I can't get rid of them, I'm stuck with them, they're as bound to me as you are with your Aspergers. All I can do is suppress, but when I get tired of holding them back they find a way out." Raven swallowed, "That night, under the stars I was scared, not of you, but of what my powers would do to you if... You saw what happened the first time, under that ledge when you..."

"The explosion in the river. So that was you?"

"Yes." Raven looked down at the ground. "The only reason they didn't snap your neck that night was because the Doctor had set up something that was holding them back for me. I felt free from them and I wanted to 'feel' for once without consequences. But even when I had my powers removed, I still felt like I was so screwed up."

"Is that all that night was? A curiosity?" There was an edge to his voice. It never occurred to Raven that night might've meant something to him.

"I don't know." She said, honestly. It took her a few seconds to understand how that sounded, so she quickly added, "but if I didn't feel anything for you I would never have kissed you, at all." More silence as Russel processed this, it was almost unbearable to not know what he was thinking.

"Man, and I thought I had it hard." Russel laughed. "Maybe you shouldn't bottle your powers up so much. They want to be expressed, so let them be expressed somehow." Raven looked down at the drawing in her lap. "You want to be normal. But why? 'Normal' is over-rated, normal is boring. Your powers do mean a lot to you, don't they? I can tell." He said. Was she so transparent? "It's like me with my drawings. It's an artform I've crafted, homed and controlled. You have a skill you've homed and grown to control. And like my Aspergers it's intertwined with your identity. You can't get rid of it, you can only manage it." She'd never thought of her powers like an art before. In a funny way, that might be true. Russel uses his soul and heart to create and draw, Raven technically uses her soul to move things and conjure power.

Raven had never thought such a powerful insight could be reached by someone without similar powers. But perhaps that was not true. Raven didn't know how to ask her next question, but Russel continued on.

"You want to feel. I think you can, but you need to find that line that trips your powers and learn how to skate close to it but not cross it. Like I do, I recognise what part of my personality is a symptom of my autism and I try to mask it."

"But my powers are a curse." She insisted.

"I think my Autism is a curse, yet without it I probably wouldn't be able to draw like that." He said about his drawings. "I think your powers are a gift, but only if you let them be. You can't get rid of them, so might as well learn how to live with them." He sounded like the Doctor, which made it all the more irritating since Russel looked kind of like the Doctor, only her age. She clenched her eyes together when the thought crossed her head. _Oh God, it's like I'm dating the Doctor!_

The goth girl looked down at the drawing again in her lap, she realised Russel had drawn her like a dark angel, only without the wings. He saw her that way, she only wished she felt it.

"You must hate me now." For some reason that she couldn't understand, Raven wanted him to hate her.

"No, I don't." He said. His delivery was a little quick off the mark that it made him sound insincere. But Raven could sense through her mind that he meant it. "Maybe I should've explained my condition earlier instead of trying to hide it, so maybe I was just asking to be misunderstood. But I don't hate you. Why would I hate the only person who could talk to me on my wavelength? You're like the only person who speaks any English in a foreign land, to me."

Raven felt moved by that remark, and she felt the same way about him.

"So, what happens now?" Russel asked. "Do we go our separate ways? Or try again, with a new understanding?"

Raven didn't know if she truly was ready for a relationship right now. She'd been given so much to think about and process that she didn't want to just rush into reigniting this relationship.

"Just know," Russel said, "I can't be fixed, I can't be 'healed', I'm stuck this way."

"So am I." Raven added.

"I'm sorry," Russel said, "What do you mean by that?"

"I don't know, it just sounded like the right thing to say." Raven shrugged. Their eyes met again. She did have affection for him, but was it as powerful as the dreaded four-letter L-word?

They both shuffled closer to each other. His sad, puppy-dog eyes did look kind of cute. She felt her defences dropping. He was one of the only people she'd met who she could say could understand her pains. She wanted his friendship, she wanted his understanding, she wanted... she wanted...

"You can drop your mask a little, if you like." She said.

Their faces were only inches away again. She was tempted...

"RAVEN!" _Oh, for Christ sake!_ It was the Doctor; and the moment was lost.

* * *

Raven and Russel stood as the Doctor came through the trees.

"I'm over here, Doctor!" Raven called him over. She stood next to and close to Russel.

"Oh, hello Russel." The Doctor greeted him.

"Doctor Roth." Russel nodded.

"What's with all this 'Roth' Business?" The Time Lord asked.

"It's okay, Doctor. We talked it through, the creature should be pacified now." Raven said.

"Creature?"

"The thing that attacked us. You were generating it." Raven said, "You needed to calm down so we could stop it."

Now Russel's features moved, they were subtle, but he looked annoyed. "So you lied again, you just needed me to calm down!"

 _Oh god, not more drama!_

"Was any of that mushy stuff..." Raven grabbed him by his collar and pressed her lips to his. The Doctor looked away like an embarrassed child. She then released the boy, an eyebrow raised on her face.

"Any more dumb questions?" He looked so stunned it was almost adorable.

"Umm..." his cheeks were turning read. "Can we do that again?" Raven rolled her eyes, it shut him up at least.

"Later." She said in a hushed voice.

"Raven, he can't be the one generating what I've been detecting." The Doctor said, Raven's face dropped. "He has only a minor connection to the psychic pools, but not a substantial one. The most he could do is cause a low level manifestation. He's not constantly dipping into it, he'd have to, to account or what I've been detecting."

"But he..." Raven looked at Russel then back at the Doctor. "Then who?"

The answer came when Raven saw something coming through the forest, speeding like an arrow. Raven reacted just in time to push Russel out of the way of the spear of clear, psychic energy that had imbedded itself in the tree beside them.

The Doctor and Raven immediately dropped to the ground, Raven dragging Russel down with her.

Something was coming through the forest. It was humanoid, but spider like. It had the body of a girl but it's arms and legs were four times their normal length and the head sat on a neck just as long that wriggled like a snake. But what struck Raven was the creatures face.

It was Antonia.

Raven groaned. "Why can't I have a normal day for a change?!"

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** Strap in, who Antonia is and were she comes from shall be revealed, next time!


	76. Chapter 75, The Ghost of Jealousy

**Chapter 75**

 **The Ghost of Jealousy.**

The gangly creature approached, it's head on a long neck swivelling from left to right. It moved like a four-legged spider and Antonia's eyes had an instant creep factor to them.

"Cool!" Raven said, she couldn't help herself. It was creepy and she loved it. The creature lumbered up to them, standing maybe a swimming pools length away.

"You bastard!" Antonia's unearthly voice screeched at Russel.

"What is your problem?!" Raven shouted at it.

"Stop polluting her head with your lies!" Antonia leered at Russel.

The Doctor looked awed and inspired at Antonia, like some exotic insect collector looking at a rare butterfly. "What a beautifully, eccentric creature!"

Antonia looked surprised at the Doctor's attitude. She looked at the Goth Girl with a look that Raven found almost comical. "Who exactly is this?"

"Me? Oh well, I'm nobody, really." He said modestly. "Just a traveller, hopping around, fixing things. Earth has been invaded by bigger bug-eyed monsters than you and I've bested all of them, so I advise you to think very carefully before harming a single human being." The Doctor spoke with such a commanding presence, Raven was deeply awed by it.

"Who do you think you are to challenge me?!" Antonia said, rising up a little higher. Without warning, she fired another silver spear, aimed at the Doctor. But it never impacted as Raven appeared in front of the Doctor, floating in the air, and she deflected the spear with a swipe of her hand.

"Heed his advice!" Raven warned her, "He might give you a second chance, but I won't."

"Now, now, Raven." The Doctor said. He gently took Raven by her shoulders and moved her floating form aside like she was some floating balloon. She looked daggers at him as he moved passed her. She felt so embarrassed!

"What are you doing here?" The Doctor asked, "You're clearly a projection of some kind, though one that's been made solid."

"I am here, for that boy!" Antonia hissed, pointing at Russel. Raven instantly moved in front of the boy and spread her cloak out to shield him and make her small form look bigger and more imposing. "He took everything away from me. My family! My life! He killed me!"

"Umm..." Russel spoke, "can I ask just one question. What the frick are you talking about?"

Raven's face dropped as it clicked. After travelling with the Doctor for so long you learn to make connections like this. It was so simple she'd be surprised if this wasn't the answer. "You said you could've had a twin sister, one who's leeching remains were cut out of you?" She asked, Russel nodded. "Was that before, or after Antonia appeared on your doorstep?"

"After, about two months after. Why?"

"Fetus-in-fetu?" The Doctor asked, "A very rare condition, almost unheard of on this part of Earth and..." then he clapped his hands together. "Of course, it all makes sense now." He rounded on Russel. "Russel, 'my lad'" the Doctor said, mimicking the regional accent, "are you ready to hear the most implausible, impossible things?"

"I'm open to it." The boy shrugged and looked at Raven hovering in the air, then to Antonia. "Honestly, it's that kind of day."

"That, my dear Mr Hopkins." The Doctor said, gesturing to Antonia. "Is your twin sister. Or at least a manifestation of her."

"I don't remember being related to a grasshopper!" Russel said.

"Well, of course, her form has elongated. Objects and bodies produced by psychic powers can physically alter themselves."

"Yeah, I've seen it." Again, Russel glanced at Raven.

"She's your twin, in a sense, in spirit. She is your projection, in the same way the invisible creature was hers!"

Russel looked upon her in horror. "You... you're my sister?"

"You killed me!" Antonia hissed, "You had me extracted, and you left me on a surgical table to rot!"

"I'm sorry, I'm having a hard time taking this in." Russel held his head and looked to Raven, but she shrugged, she didn't know how better to explain it. "I have so many questions."

"Just roll with it." Raven said, "Trust me, it's easier."

"It should've been you who was swallowed up, not me!" Antonia shouted at the boy, "Mum said so, didn't she, that night she got drunk, got tired of your boyish games. She told you how much she wanted another girl. She was disappointed to be lumbered with you! A messy, little, child. She didn't want slugs and snails and puppy dogs-tails. She wanted me, all sugar and spice and everything nice!"

"That's debatable," Raven said quietly so only Russel could hear her. She saw the quip raised a smile on his face.

"I remember." Russel said, "I remember her anger, I remember she cried for hours, just because I wouldn't tidy up my room."

"You're a terrible son to her. I hate you for what you did to mummy." Antonia shouted. "All because of you and your 'condition.' Do you know how many friends she's lost defending you and your immature behaviour! You need to grow up and take responsibility for your behaviour! That's why I hate you! That's why I will punish you!"

"Ah ha!" The Doctor shouted, interrupting the moment, "You were created by Russel, you were nurtured by him and his suppressed psyche. You became the embodiment of his shame, his anger, his need to fight back. It was all channelled into you. Somehow, Russel was connected to these psychic pools, and you formed out of him. In essence, you 'are' him."

"I am nothing like him!" Antonia shrieked.

"Wait, does this mean technically, we are her parents?" Russel asked looking at Raven.

"You're changing the diapers," Raven commented. The Doctor looked at Raven, wanting an explanation. "I'll explain later." Was all Raven was going to give him right now.

"Do you know what I did when I first realised I was alive?" Antonia asked, "I went home. I went home to see mum and dad, I went home to taste mums delicious Sunday dinner." She paused, fire in her eyes. "They didn't recognise me, their own daughter, me! Do you have any idea how painful it is to cry for mummy and daddy, only for them to look at you like you're not even real? To pack you off to the police, to an orphanage, adopted parents? I remember seeing you with Sean and Kerry, you all looked so happy at the table, and I was left out. Just because 'you' were the one to survive. You choked me, you held me back, and you discarded me like I was a used tissue you blew your nose on!"

Russel shrugged. "Umm... sorry."

"Alright!" The Doctor said, trying to calm her down. "I understand. You feel the Universe has cheated you like this. It gave you the roll of the dice and it came up as snake eyes at the worst possible time. Antonia, that's your name isn't it? Well, I'm sorry but that's how the Universe rolls. Unfortunate things happen, sometimes someone gets born with an unfair advantage. But you've been granted something rarely seen in the universe, a second chance, a do-over. The dice rolled again and this time in your favour. Despite the odds, now both twins get to exist in some form."

"But he's got my life!" Antonia hissed at Russel. "He's eating MY food, sleeping in MY bed, getting MY love. He is standing in MY place!"

"It's his place to stand. Why do you want what another has? You have an entire world. You have things you can call your own. You can be your own person. You have your own toys, your own friends, you can even have your own family -they don't have to be blood relations, you know- even your own collection of bottle caps. I implore you, you don't know what you've been granted. Don't throw it all away, just because you look at someone else and decide 'I want that, now!'"

"Throw it all away?" Antonia asked, she looked defensive.

"Because if you don't stop. Then I, unfortunately, will have to stop you." The Doctor said, staring into Antonia's eyes. The creepy girl looked like she was about to argue back. "I'm willing to let you co-exist." His voice slowly became darker and more serious. "But if your intention is to cause anyone any harm, then I'll have to put a stop to you." He said, like it was a deadly serious threat.

"Antonia, can I speak?" It was Russel. Raven tried to hold him back but he pushed past the Goth girl and approached Antonia, arms up to show they held nothing, no tricks, nothing. "Antonia. I don't pretend to understand half of what's going on here. But I can empathise. I've had a hard life being bullied by people for reasons I do not know, even before you came along. Honestly, I can't fathom the depths you are feeling. But you could've become my friend, I'm an accepting kind of person. You could've visited my house and my family. Perhaps, you could've joined it, maybe even been adopted by it. I've always wanted a sister." Antonia's form began to shrink back down to her normal shape. "And I've always been the sharing sort."

"I have what you want, sure. You think I'm standing where you should be. I never meant for you to die. I would've wanted you to live." Russel was speaking tenderly to this girl, despite not an hour ago she'd tried to beat him up. "Antonia, if you want, we can put this behind us. We can be friends, you can hang out with the family. Who knows, you might become a family friend. My mum is always so friendly with new friends of mine. Raven can tell you that."

Raven shrugged, "She's okay. A little mushy for my taste." It was difficult to tell what Antonia was thinking. She was now back in her humanoid form. Despite everything Antonia had done to him, he still wanted to see her be happy. Raven honestly wouldn't give her the time of day. But at least Antonia appeared to be listening to him.

As Russel had spoken he'd approached Antonia, now he was within arm's length of her. "Antonia, I invite you to be my sister." She looked like she'd been moved, like it had never occurred to her she could share. Like she never expected to be able to share anything. "What do you say?" He opened his arms in a welcoming fashion.

Slowly, as if it hurt her, she stepped into his arms, and they closed on her in a hug.

Raven was too slow to react when she saw the cold, dark look in Antonia's eyes.

Russel suddenly shuddered and froze. He stepped back and collapsed to the ground. A red stain spreading from a puncture wound in his stomach. A long, sharp prong retracted back from Antonia's wrist and reformed into her hand.

"I'm not the sharing sort." Antonia said.

* * *

Raven had been so taken by surprise by this that at first that it didn't register. But she was looking on in disbelief. When Russel fell to the ground she now approached the bleeding boy and pointed her finger at Russel's head. Slowly, the finger began to elongate and extend towards his left eye.

"You expect me to forgive you for everything you did to me already? Don't make me puke!" She was going to kill him!

Without thinking, Raven held out her hand and from it shot a blast which caught Antonia in the face. Rage was starting to bubble in Raven again. The energy shooting into Antonia's face became a claw which clamped down over her head, and Raven began to swung Antonia left, right, up and down before slamming her into the ground. As she did this Raven saw something green tumble from Antonia's jacket pocket. The crystal from the Doctors car, so it was she who stole it! Quickly, Raven's powers snatched it up.

Antonia's form had morphed into a mass of flat flesh with a face and hair. Slowly, her mis-shaped form began to reorganise itself. It sprang four long limbs and in that moment Antonia made her getaway, scurrying away like a spider running from a rolled up piece of newspaper. Raven was about to set off after her.

"I WARNED YOU NOT TO TOUCH MY STUFF!" Raven snarled at her.

"Raven stop!" The Doctor shouted. Raven hesitated.

"What does it matter? She's a projection, she's not real!" Raven shouted.

"No, forget her, help your friend." That caught Raven's attention. Russel was already looking pale. Tearing herself away from the subject of her sudden burst of anger she knelt down and again delved into her powers, she found the damage and used her abilities to start healing broken bones and fixing the damaged tissue.

"You stupid idiot!" Raven shouted at him, "It's your own fault, you shouldn't forgive people like that." She said as she desperately tried to keep him alive.

"Raven..." The Doctor began.

"Save it!" Raven spat, "Just tell me what to do, and I'll do it. If it means we stop Antonia then I'll do it! If it hurts her, even better!" The Doctor was shocked by the look in Raven's eyes. He thought better of arguing with Raven right now, and instead began formulating their plan of attack.

"Antonia is too well established in the real world." The Doctor said to her as she worked, "this isn't like our invisible friend, she's not going to go away just because Russel calms down. He's been feeding her for so long she's like a permanent fixture." As the most complicated parts of Russel's anatomy were fixed Raven moved onto the flesh wounds, now she could relinquish enough focus to talk to the Doctor.

"Doctor, she has the crystal." She held it up in front of him with her powers. "She must've broken into the car to steal it."

"Of course, that would make sense. She's technically still a projection. If we inhibit her connection to the psychic pools she'll gradually get weaker. It'll freeze her in whatever form she's in."

As the last of Russel's wounds closed up colour began to return to his face. He moaned as his brain began to function properly. "What happened?" He looked down at the tears in his clothes where Antonia had stabbed him, then up to Raven. "Was that you?" He smiled, "Thank you."

Raven did not smile back but she continued to look into his eyes. "No problem."

"Right!" The Doctor announced, getting to his feet. "We still have a metaphysical, psychic manifestation to deal with."

"A what-y, what?" Russel asked.

"Just nod your head. It makes him go faster." Raven commented.

"Raven, think you're a match for Antonia's powers?" The Doctor asked.

Raven wanted to say a sarcastic quip, but nothing came, so just settled for. "Sure,"

"Good, find her and follow her. Make sure she doesn't hurt anyone." He then turned to Russel. "My friend, how would you like a chance to potentially help save the world?"

"Really, I thought the stakes were higher?" Raven didn't laugh at the sarcasm. She really was back to normal.

"Good," the Time Lord said before Russel even agreed, "because I could do with a second pair of hands."

Raven was about to fly off, but she turned back to Russel and said to him. "You look after yourself, and do everything he says. Got it?" She ordered.

Russel gave her a mock salute, "Yes, ma'am."

Raven looked away. Flirting just hurt now.

* * *

It didn't take Raven long to find the bitch. She was at Russel's house, reformed back into her human form. She knocked on the door. Holding back Raven observed what happened as the door opened up and Russel's mom answered.

"Hello, can I help you?" Russel's mom asked.

"Hello, Mum." Antonia went.

"Mum? I'm sorry dear-y, but you have the wrong house." She said.

"No, this is my house, you are my mum. Don't you recognise me?" Antonia reached out to hug her mom, but the woman stepped back. "Mum, it's me! I'm the daughter you've always wanted." The elderly womans face dropped and she leaned away from the strange girl.

"Please, leave." Russel's mum said.

"Look at me, please. I'm Russel's twin. I'm the daughter you never had. I've been brought to life!" Antonia pleaded. Russel's mum did not look pleased.

"That's not funny."

"Mum, you said you wanted a girl. I am that girl."

"Stop it! Just stop it!" Russel's mum said in frustration, "I know who you are now! You're that bullying bitch who used to torment Russel!"

"But... you said..." Antonia sounded heartbroken, "you said you wanted a girl, you said you didn't want Russel, you said you wanted a girl instead. I..."

"Russel isn't perfect, but I love him with all my heart. I just wished he'd tidy his room every now and then. My boy has Asperger's and you just torture him!"

"But you lost friends..."

"I'd gladly loose all my friends, to defend my son from ignorant little bigots like you!" Russel's mum stepped out of the house just enough to point an accusing finger at Antonia. "People like you are just a cancer in his life! You made my son's life a frickin' misery!" With each passing moment, Antonia's face began to become more and more hurt. "Piss off you little bitch, go crawl into a hole and die for all I care. Leave my son alone, I never want to see your face at my door again!" and the door was slammed in Antonia's face.

The girl stood there, at the doorstep, stunned into silence. Slowly, she began to look down like she was about to break down and fall apart.

Honestly, how did she think that would go? _Oh, I'm sorry to bother you. I'm the bully who's made your child's life a misery, but I'm really your long lost daughter brought to life by mysterious happen-stance. Please, love me. Oh, by the way, I stabbed your son, he's bleeding to death as we speak, so you have no choice but to love me now!_

 _"_ All I want is my family!" The girl screamed. Raven felt a little sympathy for her, but just a little.

"They're not your family." Raven said coldly from behind her. "You're not even real."

"What?" Antonia asked staring daggers at Raven.

"You're not really Russel's long lost twin. You're a delusion. You're just the embodiment of his own negative thoughts, his own self-destructive, toxic self. You are nothing more than his self loathing personified. That's why you want to see him miserable, because he deep down some part of him thinks he deserves to be hated." Raven did not break her cold, stare as she finished her thought. "And that part of him, is you."

The breaking point came. Antonia threw her head back and screamed, and she morphed into the monster that laid underneath that skin. The ground shook as Raven felt Antonia's powers delve right into the psychic pools of Devils End.

"How can you say that?" Came Antonia's now monstrous voice. "I know I am real, I am a person, I am a girl. I am not a toxic anything. Russel is a stain that should be expunged!"

"And you only think that because it is what Russel feels."

"Bitch!" Antonia lashed out, Raven dodged and a red telephone box exploded into flames. The spider like girl was so angry that she began to charge her own powers and before Raven could react she forced a blast at Russel's house door.

After a flash of light, the door remained standing, shrouded in the dark energy of Raven's powers. Then the dark energy formed into a portal, and slowly passing through it was Raven, her glowing, hooded eyes giving Antonia and her anger a pause for thought.

Raven didn't have to say anything else, as far as Raven was concerned it had already been communicated.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** I guess what comes next is technically Raven's first battle with an equal adversary. Our favourite Goth girl is not necessarily the top dog in this fight. Bear with me on this, it might take a bit to write.


	77. Chapter 76, The Daughter who never was

**Updated: 11/Jan/2020**

* * *

 **Chapter 76**

 **The Daughter who never was**

Raven had thought she'd communicated her intentions clear enough. But that thought was shattered the moment Antonia lashed out at her with her long, clawed fingers. They barely reached her before the demon girl released a blast of energy, a blast intensified by the rage bubbling inside her.

Antonia was flung backwards, across the village green before slamming into a tall pole in the middle of the public space.

Screams followed as the residence slowly became aware of the tall, spider-like person in their presence, and the mysterious, hooded girl. The screams were antagonising Antonia. She spotted a family near the pub, a father, mother, a son and daughter. Antonia twisted and fired a lance of pure psychic energy at the family and their two children.

 _Now's my chance! Get her!_

 _But what about the family?_

 _What do they matter? Your job is to stop her. So what if four people had to die?_

But as Raven looked over to them it was as if the world started going in slow motion, and she saw the utter terror on the two kids faces. The realisation they were about to die. Their parents kneeling down to hug their children, looking in horror at the blast coming their way.

 _More like them will die if you don't put a stop to Antonia, now!_

Raven made her move, but not towards Antonia. With a flick of her mind, Raven sailed in front of the family, crossed her arms, clenched her muscles and generated a bubble around them. The force of the blast shocked her, but the shield held.

When the blast ceased Raven lashed out with her own powers, with a flick of her arm a curved, dark blade was produced, aimed at Antonia. It cut into her, leaving a nasty gash in her side and the pole she'd been up against split into two with a muffled clang as it hit the ground. The wound began to knit itself together and Antonia reformed quickly.

Next, Antonia began lumbering towards her on all fours like a creepy spider. It saddened her that she had to kill it, she loved how creepy it was. If it were smaller and easier to control Raven would want to add it to her collection of spiders.

It lashed out, and Raven waved her hands and cast another spell, speaking her chimes to help focus her mind. A dark portal formed beneath her and the family, and the five dropped into darkness. Dropped into a dimension that was Raven's soul-self. They weren't here for long as she emerged on the other side of the green with the family who were all shaken, but safe.

Before Antonia could realise what had happened Raven turned to the family, and through her creepy glowing eyes simply said. "Leave!" The parents, utterly terrified, scooped up their children and ran for it. A part of Raven still felt sad that even after helping them, they still looked at her like a demon.

 _Oh well, so what else is new?_

Antonia lumbered around, completely consumed by her rage but her target was clear. She was heading back to the Hopkin's household. But she found her limbs suddenly forcing her backwards and to the ground as rings of darkness had formed around her arms and legs and they were now pinning her to the ground. She thrashed around with foam at the mouth in utter rage. She'd gone insane.

Raven could understand her pain all too well and she felt some sympathy. Just a little. But Antonia was blaming one person for a situation which was beyond his control to fix or influence, and Raven knew what it was like to be unfairly blamed.

"Why are you protecting that boy?" Antonia snarled, "No one likes him! No one trusts him! Why side with him? No one will like you if you protect him. Everyone wants to see him hurt!"

Raven remained silent. She'd heard that all before, only Raven had been the subject of it.

"You're doing all this, just because you fancy a boy?" Raven looked coldly and calmly at her. Raven was doing this for far more than just Russel, but if Antonia had decided Raven's motivation the goth girl got the feeling that no amount of reasoning would convince her otherwise. "A boy! Just for a boy!"

"And you're doing all this just because you hate the boy. Everything you do is in service to hurting that boy. Who's life revolves around Russel now?" Antonia raged again, she managed to raise her arm up, but Raven forced it back down.

"You won't be happy with him, you'll regret it. Mark my words, you will regret it." Raven's mouth shifted to one side of her face. She wanted to roll her eyes, but that would break her concentration. "Let go of me, you bitch!"

Raven couldn't help it, she wanted to taunt her more. "All this anger and emotion, just because some woman you want to call 'mummy' won't tell you she loves you."

In the next moment Raven felt stunned as something weird happened. Despite holding her body down Antonia's head had just leapt out at her and sharply head-butted Raven in the face. With her concentration faltering Antonia broke free and was up again in an instant, her head on her elongated neck wriggling like a snake. Shit, Raven now realised she should've grabbed her neck too!

Antonia was up on all fours and prepared to pounce. Raven prepared to generate a shield and fight back.

Raven sensed what was coming, but it was too late to react as she felt herself get swiped off of her feet and she went flying, crashing into the park bench. A shimmering, invisible giant standing before her.

That made sense, Russel could generate the creature since he was linked to the psychic sink. If followed Antonia was capable of it too, and she was using it.

Two more lumbering giants were generated. Four against one. Not good odds. But Raven was the daughter of the dreaded Trigon. She should be able to take these brutes no problem.

* * *

 _No, I take that back, this is a problem!_ Raven later decided as the four adversaries made it difficult to focus for more than a few seconds to build up power. She could generate a shield around herself that was simple. But when it came to attacking the demon girl found she had limited time to power up. It was as if when in a panic it helped her focus and thus generate a shield. But when it came to attacking there wasn't a similar burst of concentration. For the next few minutes, Raven played this game of 'dodge the shimmering, barely visible fists'. A couple of times she was hit and knocked out of the sky. Another time Antonia came close to skewering her with her generated energy pikes. Finally, Raven was knocked down and she impacted the ground and rolled a few times before stopping. As she sat up she noticed her cloak, her lovely cloak had a hole ripped into it!

Antonia stood back, the three giants around Raven holding her down as the spider bitch approached, savouring the moment. Raven wasn't scared, she wasn't concerned. A dark aura burnt around the hooded girl and the giants could do nothing as she vanished into the burning darkness, which evaporated like smoke. Raven re-appeared high in the air and above their notice.

Raven needed to break Antonia's concentration so the brutes would dissipate. Raven saw a car parked close by. With her powers, she picked it up and the shrouded car was fired directly at Antonia, who didn't have time to react as the car was slammed down on top of her like a rolled-up newspaper with a spider.

The owner must've been watching, because Raven did sense some sense of loss through the ether.

 _I hope the guy had insurance._ Said her brain.

The brutes vanished, but Raven was sure Antonia was only knocked back. The people who'd taken cover were very slowly coming out of hiding.

There came a crash, and a shattering of glass from much further away. Towards Russel's house. Antonia had given Raven the slip! The demon girl was over there in a flash. Antonia's spider form had grown to twice it's original size and she was breaking windows, flattening the cars outside, and ramming herself into the house, trying to bring it down. Raven didn't bother asking why she was attacking the family she wants affection from, reasons didn't matter right now.

"Get out here you arseholes!" Antonia shouted, "You picked 'him' over me?! You let them take me out, you are just as guilty as your frickin' son!" Whatever she was about to rage next stopped as two cars slammed together over her head, making it look like a head/car sandwich.

Antonia saw the floating girl in the sky. "Why won't you mind your own frickin' business?!"

Raven did not speak. She noticed Antonia got angrier if she remained silent, like a cold, silent judge; and angry people made mistakes. Antonia wanted to rage, she wanted an audience, and Raven knew how maddening it could be to want to shout out to the world, only for the world to silently not care.

Raven's powers ripped up lamp-posts and pulled out electrical wires from the ground and within seconds they'd wrapped around the spider girl like a mummy, trapping her. Raven doubted they'd hold her, but it'd give Raven time to think.

Unfortunately, she was distracted again, because Russel's family were too busy gawking at the spider girl to do anything, and worse, the house could come down on them at any second. Raven had to appear in front of them and tell them to run for it. They were a little spooked by how she appeared through the wall.

"Hey, isn't that Russel's girlfriend?" Sean asked. It took all restraint not to reach out and strangle him for saying that.

"You might want to do something called 'running.'" Raven said to them.

"I can't run, I've got bad legs." Said Russel's mom.

"And I'm not leaving my wife!" said Russel's Dad. Sean remained silent.

Raven closed her eyes and sighed. _For God sake!_ Raven had to waste time lifting the three up, out of the house and carry them far away from Antonia as she struggled to release herself from her bonds.

 _I'm saving people. God, I am going soft now!_

"What is that thing?" Russel's mom asked.

"That's your daughter." Raven said matter-of-factly. "The daughter who never was."

"What utter balderdash." Russel's Dad said.

"Where's Russel?!" Sean asked.

"He's safe." Raven answered simply.

"Where?" Russel's Mum then asked.

Raven was getting tired of all these questions while she was concentrating on not dropping them. "Enough of all the questions. He's safe, and I won't let anything happen to him. Just keep yourself safe, for his sake."

She set them down outside the town pub and released them from her power.

"Who are you?" Russel's Dad asked with an accusing look.

"The only one standing between you and that murder happy creature." Raven was about to turn back to the spider girl and hopefully do something to end her, when Russel's mom grabbed the goth girl by her forearm. "Be safe, deary." The woman had such concern in her eyes. She didn't know who Raven really was, but she cared enough to want her to be safe. Raven felt a little touched by that.

Breaking away, Raven flew back to the spider girl like a bullet. But sadly, Antonia already broken out and had smashed down the Hopkin's household. She was now stamping on what remained of Russel's room, trying to smash everything that was in it.

The spider girl gave Raven an evil look when she saw her.

"Why do you insist in tormenting me?" Antonia voice raged out in an unearthly shout.

"Why fish for sympathy when nobody gives a shit?" Raven said back.

Antonia curled up her appendages and lept at Raven. The demon girl held up her hands, preparing to defend herself, when Antonia disappeared in a puff of wispy smoke. Shit! She can do that too?! Then Raven sensed, far too late that Antonia had dissipated and reformed behind her. Raven's arms were grabbed and she was forced to fall down, almost twenty feet into the muddy soil. Raven couldn't do anything as her face was forced forward into the mud. Water closing all around her face. She couldn't breathe, she was going to drown in the mud and she couldn't focus enough to use her powers.

She could panic, but if she didn't focus then the energy released might not do anything useful. She could end up hurting people!

Raven was aware something had slammed into Antonia's head. The spider girl looked around, and in her struggles Raven caught a glimpse of a small boy and girl, the two she'd saved from Antonia's attack, tossing stones. The spider girl hissed and was about to blast them when more stones came. These from adults, another residence of the town, old and young, even the pub landlord, the book stores owner, Russel's family, even two women Raven guessed were Russel's sister and niece. Where her eyes deceiving her? Or were Sarah and Lisa in the crowd too? They were all throwing stones at Antonia. The one who'd pretended to be the little helpless girl. Now her true self was on display, and they didn't like it one bit.

The townspeople were brave, but it was a bad move. However, what it did do was grant Raven enough breathing room to focus. With burning darkness she vanished again, and as Antonia attempted to swipe at the town's people a dark dome formed over her.

Hovering in the air outside the dome Raven spread her arms out, her hands cupped as if holding a large, imaginary ball, and slowly she began contracting her hands together. As she did this the dome began to shrink down, getting smaller and smaller. She was going to crush this spider girl like a bug.

The watching townspeople stood back and watched with bated breath as Raven held the spider girl within her power.

"Stop it, stop it, stop it!" Antonia screamed. The dark sphere was the size of a beachball, and still Raven collapsed it further, and further and further, and yet Antonia wouldn't die.

Of course! Antonia physically didn't exist. She was psychic energy, projected by a psychic imprint from Russel's head. She couldn't die, technically. But she could be moulded and squashed, and she could feel pain. Raven wanted to feel pleasure but kept it down. She felt nothing as every drop of psychic energy that was Antonia was contained within a dark sphere the size of a soccer ball.

The well of power Raven drew from suddenly dried up. This wasn't natural. Her sphere vanished and Antonia was released.

Instantly, Raven tried to conjure a shield, but there was nothing. So she tried to generate a blast, still nothing. Her powers had stopped working, and she suspected why.

In theory, that also meant Antonia was powerless too. But no, as the spider girl stood tall she still existed, though she looked a little groggy.

"Doctor, you frickin' idiot!" Raven shouted as Antonia lashed out with a clawed hand. At least she wasn't trying to fire energy blasts, by how stiff she was Raven guessed she'd also lost the ability to morph, the bad news is that she was in a form that was deadly while even de-powered.

The village people scattered and ran now that Antonia was free. But still, Raven stood up to her, despite the sad fact the demon was now powerless to stop it. As this went on darkness descended upon Devils End. Storm clouds shrouded out the evening twilight and heavy rain began to pour.

Only now, as Raven moved around, avoiding her strikes did she realise how damaged she was. Her leotard was torn, she was bleeding from several scrapes, and she felt like she'd bruised a few ribs. She was really taking damage this time. Which totally smashed her pompous view of invulnerability.

She was suddenly off her feet as Raven was knocked to the muddy ground and she began rolling in it, in a desperate attempt to avoid Antonia's claws. Raven felt her cloak was dragging on her surroundings. Without her powers it was a useless accessory. She didn't want to, but survival demanded she ditch it.

Slipping out of the cloak, Raven rolled a few times in the mud. Antonia stood over her, and so Raven lashed out with a sharp kick into Antonia's stomach. She still felt pain it turned out, but that revelation was useless as the spider girl grabbed Raven's arms and she was hauled up into the air. Antonia began to pull on Raven's arms. The pain was intense, and Raven dreaded losing an arm, but despite the pain her eyes met with Antonia's and Raven stared with gritted teeth. Raven would not scream so easily.

The pair were suddenly blinded by a bright light as two lamps in the darkness sped towards them at a quick speed with a very distinctive clatter of an air-cooled engine. Antonia, being like a deer in headlights, was too slow to react as the Doctors bug like car smashed into the spider-like girl. Antonia went flying, and rolled over and over in the rain before coming to a stop.

Russel and the Doctor lept out of the car, Russel was by Raven's side in an instant. "Are you alright?" He asked.

"I'm filthy, I'm bleeding, I'm bruised, and I know how a football feels. So yeah, I feel just fine and dandy."

Russel then looked at her mud covered body.

"Say one word," Raven warned and held up a hand of mud, "and you get a face full of this."

"Did you enjoy your mud-bath?" she flicked the back of her hand to him so he was sprayed with mud.

"You two can flirt later." The Doctor said, snapping Raven out of the moment.

"We weren't flirting!" Raven insisted. But the Doctor had other things on his mind, because Antonia was getting back up again.

"Can't anything stop her?" Russel asked.

"Technically, you can." The Doctor said, "You've been feeding her all these years, she's still connected to you."

"Then why did she try to murder me?" Russel asked.

"I don't know, madness can make you a bit 'murder happy' without reason." The Doctor joked.

"So you're saying," Raven looked at Russel, "To stop Antonia Russel has to die?" Raven looked horrified.

"No, don't be silly. We just need to sever Russel's connection with the psychic influence somehow."

"Got any plans, Doc?" Russel asked him.

"Well, we could dial the modulator producing the psychic cancelling wave up." The Doctor mused, "but the shock might damage your brain, or even kill you."

"We're not going through with that plan!" Raven insisted. The Doctor looked at her like she'd grown three heads. "What?"

"Since when did you grow a heart?"

"The moment I realised I needed it to pump blood." Raven dismissed.

"YOU!" Antonia hissed when she spotted Russel. "I thought I killed you!"

"Not on my watch, you won't!" Raven said defiantly at her.

"I'm gonna kill you, you little witch!" Antonia shouted.

"Sticks and stones, monster!" Raven answered. But she was shocked when Antonia's hand lanced out, and grabbed her by the neck and lifted her up off the floor. Okay, maybe she did possess some shapeshifting ability.

Raven's legs dangled as she struggled to breathe. She tried to kick out, but Antonia was too far away. Raven had no powers, and unless the Doctor or Russel could do something fast Raven was going to die.

"Let her go, Antonia!" Russel shouted, "Or I'll dial this thing up to eleven!" He was standing on the passenger side of the car hand on a dial on the dash that controls the psychic inhibitor. "You'll be severed from my brain, and without it, you can't exist." He turned to the Doctor, "Are you sure this will work, Doctor?"

"As sure as anything I've seen today. Russel, I can't let you do this, you might die." The Doctor said.

Russel looked at Antonia with an intense look.

"I've realised now the thing that's been tormenting me all my life is some darkness from my own head. A creature I've created. In a way, I've been tormenting myself all these years, always wanting to run away from her, just because I feared the backlash if I fought back. But now I can't just run away from it. I created this monster, Antonia is my responsibility, and she's going back to where I can control her." He tapped the side of his own head.

"Russel…" Raven choked, she wanted to say "Stop being so melodramatic." But that's not what she said, all she could say through her contracting windpipe was, "Russel…don't… you'll… die!"

"Doctor, what are the chances of survival?"

"Slim." The Doctor warned. "Russel, I can't let you do this, I'm sorry. There has to be another way."

"Doctor, if I…" Russel paused, then looked over the Doctor's shoulder. "Doctor, what the heck is that?" Like an idiot, the Doctor turned to look, and Russel kicked him sharply away. Before the Doctor could get back up Russel had entered the purple car and slammed the doors shut, and locked it. He then reached over to the driver's side and locked that too.

The Doctor got back up, reached into his pockets for his Sonic Screwdriver. But his shoulders slumped in defeat. "And my Sonic Screwdriver is in there!"

Russel looked at Antonia with a tired, intense look.

"You won't do it!" Antonia barked, "you won't sacrifice yourself for anyone. You're a coward who'll choose your own life over anyone else's."

Russel began turning the dial and increasing the power. He gripped his head sharply. Antonia shrieked with pain. "You're not alive." Russel shouted through the misting up window, "You are what you've always been. A cancer."

Raven could feel herself starting to blackout, the edges of the world were becoming fuzzy. "No…" Raven choked, "Russel… I don't… want you... to die!..."

"I will snap her neck!" Antonia threatened and she gripped her neck more firmly.

Raven and Russel's eyes met through the fogging up window as darkness began to take Raven.

Then Russel gave the dial a sharp twist to full.

* * *

Raven came too, battered and bruised on the road, the beetle car's headlights illuminating her, forcing her to wake up. She could sense that her powers were back, that much she was aware of. But everything else was a blur.

She heard a noise, a voice, but it was too muffled to make out. What was it. "Bacon? Baking? Raining? Raven!" The voice was calling her name.

The world came back into sharp focus both visually and audibly. The voice was the Doctor, who was kneeling down to examine her.

"Raven, are you alright?" Through her hazing mind Raven realised he sounded so concerned for her.

"R... Russel?" She asked as the haze in her brain began to clear and she took in the car. The bonnet had been opened up and the crystal within had been dashed to the pavement, shattering it into a million shards. Russel was still laid back in the car's seat, his nose gently bleeding but he was still breathing. The car's passenger window had been smashed in. The lack of glass on the road told Raven it had been broken into from the inside out.

"He's stable and breathing." The Doctor said. Raven caught a glimpse of the Doctor's hand. His bloodied hand.

A small, almost alien whimper came from the green. Laying in it was a creature. It had the vague shape of a human, but its skin was pebbly, its face now mis-shapen. Antonia.

"You might want to check on your friend." The Doctor told her, his attention focused entirely on the mis-shapen creature.

The Doctor stood and helped Raven up to her feet. The Time Lord then slowly began walking towards the creature, it turned and tried to drag itself away. The psychic pool had mostly dried up, the creature had no power left, yet still, it clung to life somehow.

Wrenching the car door open, Raven gently pulled Russel out of the car and held him in her arms. Using her own psychic abilities she did her best to stop his bleeding nose, fix whatever damage his body had endured. But his brain, if that was damaged it was something she wasn't going to be able to fix. Her attention went back to the Doctor and Antonia.

The Time Lord stood over the once-powerful creature as it squirmed away. Antonia lept to her feet and tried to strike at the Doctor's neck. With a swipe of his hand the Time Lord re-directed her arms and swept the legs out from under her. She was down again, squirming in the mud for a few seconds. Then she struck again, and with a swipe of his hand Antonia was forced back to the ground again.

The Doctor's face burned with a cold intensity only Raven had seen before, a chill went up her spine at the memory.

Antonia didn't get up now. She had no power.

"You, my dear," The Doctor said rather coldly, almost threateningly, "Have been a very naughty girl."

Raven turned back to Russel, his eyes were opening as he came back from the dead.

"Am I dead?" He asked.

"If you were, don't think that means you'd escape me!" Raven said angrily to him.

"I feel like my brains been through the blender."

"Give me five minutes, I can make that happen!" She fumed as she laid him out on the pavement and continued to check him.

"Five minutes, alone with you?" He smiled, "I don't think it'd be that bad."

"I can see one organ still functions." Raven sighed. Gently, Russel's hands touched her arms and he tilted his head to one side. This was hardly the time or place but...

"Oh, what the hell." and Raven gently kissed him. It started out as a peck, but she couldn't help herself the peck slowly became making out. Raven felt her powers move and shift at this attention. Her darker side really didn't like this positivity. It felt like it had to go wrong, it would force it to go wrong.

Russel's gentle movements stopped as his fingers began to dig into her arms. He was hurting her. He broke off his kissing, his face was red, not with embarrassment, with pain. Raven could sense it, he was in awful pain.

He began to scream and writhe on the ground, still he clung to her. Raven tried to steady him, by holding him down, and when she did she saw to her horror what she had done. In their moment of passion Raven had broken his legs.

He screamed, and screamed.

"I'm sorry." Raven said as guilt washed over her. She shushed him, then placed her hand over his forehead and induced sleep. He rag-dolled in her arms. She gently laid him out.

"I can fix him!" She said to herself, I can fix him, and she dived into her powers and began the process of reconstructing his legs, healing them and putting them back. "I can fix him, I can fix him."

 _It'll only happen again. Next time it might be his neck. Do you know what this means?_ As Raven repaired Russel's legs her heart began to break

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** Nothing to add, I just hope everyone enjoyed it.


	78. Chapter 77, Raven can swim

**Chapter 77**

 **Raven can swim.**

When Raven came to she found she was in a bed in a big white room. There was a green curtain around her bed and the Doctor was sitting in a chair at the foot of her bed and he was doing something Raven had never seen him do before. He was sleeping, soundlessly.

Both Raven and Russel had been transported to the hospital to get themselves seen to. The Doctor had followed later, after he said he'd dealt with Antonia.

As Raven moved she realised she had a pounding headache. She was clean and she was in a green hospital gown. Despite being unconscious, she felt tired. So she dropped back down onto the bed.

"Good morning, Rae-Rae." Went the Doctor as he'd woken up. He looked a little groggy himself. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been smacked around." Raven said.

"You really took a beating. I'm sorry, I should've realised how powerful she could be." The Doctor said. Raven really didn't want to hear him apologise, there was nothing to apologise for.

"What did you do to her?" Raven asked him.

"I took her on a little trip in the TARDIS. Back to the 1500s. There was a lovely couple I knew back then who gladly took her in. They'll be kind to her." The Doctor's face went dark. "But I can't say the same for the village. Looking like how she does she's not going to have a good time of it. Let's see how she likes being kicked around for being different."

"Different?" Raven asked.

"Russel has autism." The Doctor explained. "Well, technically a very mild form of Aspergers syndrome. That's why he seemed socially off. It causes social deficiencies in the brain. Sometimes in mild cases those social deficiencies can be masked, but it's more a consciously generated effort than a subconscious one. Sometimes the mask slips, and people don't react well to a slipping mask. They often wonder what's underneath, and it's always assumed to be something nasty. "

"Oh..." Raven went. The Time Lord must've found out when he scanned him with that device of his.

"What about Russel?" she asked.

"He's fine, physically." The Doctor said, "He did a very brave, but foolish thing." Raven gripped at her bedsheets.

"Are his legs okay?" She swallowed. The Doctor was silent.

"Physically, they're fine. Whether or not they'll work we can't say until he's up and about again."

"It's my fault." Raven said.

"Of course it isn't."

"It is. I... we... we became close, really close." Raven put an emphasis on it so the Doctor understood. He seemed to. He looked like he wanted to say something, but stopped, as if it didn't need to be said.

"What are you thinking now?" He asked, he gave of the air of a curious alien.

"I can't be with him." Raven concluded, "I can't be with anybody. I'll only hurt them." That idea stung. The Doctor acted like he understood. "I want to leave."

"You're not going to tell Russel?"

"I want to leave, Doctor!" Raven insisted.

"Rae-Rae." He said, coming to sit down on her bed. He spoke softly, like a parent. It was at times like this he sounded the most human. "You shouldn't run from this. You should confront it. I know it'll hurt, but I have confidence in you. Believe me, running away won't make the pain go away, it'll just cause regret, and it'll stick with you for the rest of your life."

"But what do I say to him. How can I make him understand?" The Doctor fell silent, he didn't have the answer. "Doctor, I think he loves me."

"Think?"

"Alright, he does." Raven sighed angrily.

"Do you feel the same way?" He asked.

"I think I do." Raven admitted, "What do I do?"

"Do you want to stay?" The Doctor asked, "with him?"

"You know I can't." Raven looked down. "Doctor, my powers, they hurt people if I don't control them."

The Doctor looked like he was wrestling with something inside his head.

"It's your decision to make." He stood up. "The TARDIS is parked outside. I'll wait for your decision."

"But what if I pick the wrong one?" Raven asked. She didn't feel she was qualified enough in the 'human' department to make this call.

"In life we'll all be faced with many choices." The Doctor said, "everyday we have to choose. You just have to think what is best, both for you, and your boyfriend."

"He's not my...!" Raven began to fume, but she gave up on the denial.

* * *

Russel was laying in his own hospital bed recovering from his massive psychic shock. Raven could sense his mind was scrambled a little, but he was recovering.

It was night when she made her move. She'd used her powers to rapidly heal her body and now she was back in her usual attire, all clean and repaired. The TARDIS was outside, she could sense it. They were ready to leave. But Russel was a loose thread she had to tidy up.

In the low light of darkness Raven approached the bed with the sleeping Russel on it. Raven felt turmoil in her mind, it was a strange mixture of fear, guilt and disgust. Guilt that she was essentially about to dump him, fear of what he might think of her after that, and disgust that she was about to get mushy. She couldn't think of anything to say that didn't sound like it belonged into a sickly romance novel. Would he accept that she was breaking up with him only because she didn't want her powers to hurt him? Or was that just an excuse because she felt she didn't deserve to feel loved? She was supposed to be a demon, not a human with feelings.

Raven placed a hand on his arm, slowly his eyes opened and he looked up at her. He was so weak.

"Raven?" He asked.

"It's okay." Raven said. "I'm okay. How are you?"

"I feel like the eggs I had this morning. Slightly scrambled." Raven didn't laugh. She felt too guilty.

"Russel, I'm here to say goodbye." She swallowed, she didn't know how to be tender about this.

"Goodbye?" Oh man, here goes.

"We can't be a thing, it's impossible. The idea of me being in a 'thing' with someone, I can't do it." She said. The expression on Russel's face made her say more. "It's not because of your autism. That I couldn't care less about." She sat down on the edge of his bed and ran a hand through his hair. "That oddness, I think, is what initially attracted me to you. I could somehow sense that you can understand me in ways I don't think many could." She paused, trying to think. "I wanted this to work, I so wanted it. But I have trouble controlling my powers." Raven swallowed, "Russel, that pain in your legs you felt was me. I crushed your legs by accident." Guilt flooded her.

"But you fixed me."

"It was only luck that it was your legs, what if next time it's your neck?" Raven asked. "What if in the act of loving you, I... I kill you?"

"Then I'd forgive you."

"Don't be flippant about this." Raven said. She didn't know what else to say, so there was an awkward silence.

"Did my Aspergers burn you?" Russel asked. Raven told him again that it had nothing to do with his condition, but again he asked the question.

"It did, a little. You can be blunt." She said.

"Its something that happens in all my relationships. I just have to learn how to manage it and control it." Russel said. "And find someone understanding who'll put up with it."

Raven gave him a little smile. "I think my problem is more destructive than hurting someone's feelings."

"Don't I know it." He wiggled his toes. "But I don't hate you for it, either." Raven had actually feared he would hate her now for it. But he was willing to take this in his stride.

"I don't know if that's kindly understanding, or blind foolishness." Raven said.

"You'll learn to control your powers, like I learn to manage my Asperger's." Russel looked deep into Raven's eyes. "Please, stay with me."

"I can't." Raven admitted, "I have my reasons, I can't stay in one place too long." Raven wasn't thinking when she said. "Why don't you come with me?"

"Me come with you?" He asked, his eyes were scanning her as his brain manually processed her facial expressions. "But you don't want me to."

"I... I thought it'd be nice to make the offer." Raven admitted. "I'm too dangerous. My emotions manifest my powers, and you make me feel a lot of emotions. I'm sorry, I do wish it was different. But I can't be with the people that I... the people I..." Raven stalled. "That is my curse. You feel like Pinocchio living with real people. I feel like a giant desperately trying not to hurt anyone."

Russel laughed. "We're just a pair of freaks." Raven smiled. There followed another silence. "Here." He said, pulling from his bedside cabinet his drawing pad. "Something to remember me by. Something... I know the road to find a partner is going to be long, dark and painful. But keep that as something to remind you in darker times ahead that there was someone out there who loved you for who you are."

Raven felt moved by this gesture. But she never expected to find anyone suitable enough to put up with her, and her powers.

"Is there anything I can do to make this up to you?" Raven asked.

Russel smirked. Raven had to hold her powers back like the raging torrent it was as she gently kissed this freaky boy one final time.

 _"I love you."_ She felt his mind say.

 _"... I know. Thank you."_

* * *

Raven stood outside the hospital looking up at the room Russel was in. The light was out and he was soundlessly sleeping, dreaming sweet dreams while Raven tried to settle these mixed emotions inside her head. In her arms was Russel's book, the one she'd gifted to him, the one with all his drawings of her inside. She held it tightly to herself.

Looking at her hands she'd come to accept that she'd never be rid of her powers. No matter how hard she tried to ignore them, they will always be there, within her, waiting for someone to find them. She could only do what Russel did with his Asperger's, try to manage it. Try to control it. But the price came with her emotions. Imagine never being allowed to feel anger, express your frustration, or even love. That the act of being loved in a romantic capacity could end in disaster.

Raven closed her eyes tightly. When she opened them again she'd was standing tall and her eyes were cold. Raven had decided she hated romance, she hated boyfriends, she hated everything like that because it hurt so badly when it was all gone. She hated it all, because she had to deny herself it.

The only way she could feel this way about a person again is if she met someone who could defend themselves from her powers when they went crazy. That person would need to be as powerful, or more powerful than her. How many of them could there be in the universe? There weren't any people like that in Azarath. She just had to accept that she'd probably never meet someone in the universe whom she could safely fall for, and even if she did they'd have to fall for her, how likely was that?

Raven glanced at the sketch book in her hands. It was unlikely, but possible.

Raven had to tear her gaze away from the hospital window and she focused on the Police Box shape of the TARDIS standing near the hospital car park. Everything was packed away and ready for take-off. The Doctor was just waiting for Raven.

As she slowly walked towards the TARDIS whatever remained of the girly Raven who'd fallen for Russel was compacted down and filed away in her brain under, 'uncomfortable memories'. Each step she took towards her home Raven felt more and more like her cold detached self. Romance was just a distraction, it was pointless, and it was wrong for her to feel it. She'd forgotten she was supposed to be an evil demon, not a human. She rested a hand on the Police Box handle, looked into the blue windows of the TARDIS and could only think of one thing.

"Love and Romance is only for the weak-minded." With that, she stepped into the TARDIS, Russel long behind her.

* * *

Entering the TARDIS Raven approached the console and activated the door control. She was ready to leave. She wanted to leave, now!

"Is Russel alright?" The Doctor asked.

"He's fine, now." Raven said distantly. Then she came back to herself. "I'd like to leave, right now, please." Raven turned and walked off the console dais towards the interior door.

"Before we do, I need to have a word with you, young lady." Raven stopped to listen. "You left your book in our lodgings, I had to go back and get it. I've had to say it to Susan so don't make me have to say it to you too. Do you know how much damage you could cause leaving a book out of time like this? Especially for this book, it won't be published for thirty years and it's a first printing…" the Doctor had more to say, but Raven had already walked off. She wasn't in the mood for one of his parenting lectures about being a responsible time traveller.

After walking down the miles of TARDIS corridors she arrived at the place she wanted to be. Opening the large door what spread before her was a large meadow with clouds of colourful butterflies within. The TARDIS butterfly room. It was so vast and beautiful. Raven may prefer the creepy and macabre, but she still appreciated this room purely by how tranquil it was.

The TARDIS had an unlimited number of rooms for her to wander around in, an endless supply of reading material. She could do anything, learn anything, eat anything, go anywhere and any-when. The TARDIS made things limitless; and yet the one thing she found the TARDIS couldn't give her were friends.

Raven had so much at her fingertips, and yet she felt like the loneliest person in the universe.

But there was one thing she'd realised while on this adventure. Her powers had done something actually good. She'd saved countless lives, protected innocent people, taken down a great evil, almost bested it, and she felt strangely good about that. She couldn't have done that as ordinary mortal Raven, but as sorceress Raven, with her 'evil' powers she'd done something good. Okay, she'd failed to take down the evil, but that was only because she was out of practice. If she was going to take on such threats in the future Raven needed to get stronger, she needed to get better, she needed to learn new spells and techniques.

 _Mortal Raven is effectively useless to the Doctor._ Raven thought. _Mortal Raven gets distracted by stupid things like 'love' and 'romance'._ Raven felt like she had a goal now. She would get more powerful, she would tame her powers, and she'd help save people from the evils of the universe.

 _Before the End of Days comes, and I destroy everyone, utterly…_ Rang a depressingly sobering thought in her mind.

Standing up, Raven decided she didn't want to meditate right now. Instead, she returned to the TARDIS swimming pool.

At the edge of the pool, Raven removed her cloak and let it fall at her feet. She kicked off her boots and removed her belt. Her leotard she kept on. The water wings were nearby. She didn't put them on.

Raven took a deep breath and dived right in. Surfacing, she powered through with her arms, she kicked as hard as she could with her legs, and she powered through with such determination to smack that stupid, stupid boy on the head again.

 _"The most important thing is... to hold your breath!" Oh yeah, very funny._

Raven knew how to swim, she'd learnt ages ago. She needed to learn to not fear drowning.

* * *

Back in the Titan's Tower. Raven stared long and hard at the drawing Russel had made of both himself and her, smiling in that romantic pose. Part of her still wanted to blow chunks as she looked at it, other parts of her longed for that kind of companionship again, but knowing full well that it was impossible. No one, 'liked' her in that way. Not in the way she wanted.

The only person who briefly made her feel that way were Aqua-lad, but that was only because he looked like such a hunk. Or…

Raven's gaze fell upon a trunk she'd kept under lock and key for years. Within was a single book. Trapped in the book was a dragon. A dragon who appeared to Raven as a human mortal. A powerful human mortal. One whom she felt she could have a relationship with. But the dragon played her heart like a fiddle and tricked Raven into releasing it from its prison. She gazed at the box like it was her enemy. Love and romance only get you hurt, she knew that now.

Briefly, her mind went back to the dragon creature when it appeared in a semi-human form as folded pages from a book. Suddenly, her heart sank further and she hated the dragon creature even more as she realised something. The creature had shown her a picture of Raven, happy, content, with magic energy and the planets dancing around her. It had moved her at the time, but she'd always thought it'd looked familiar. She opened Russel's sketchbook. Indeed, and there it was, in Russel's hand. The same picture, it was Russel's drawing to start and that Dragon had plucked it from her memories.

In fact, the semi-human image the dragon had appeared to her as. It was a mixture of people she knew. Traits she knew from people she trusted. Russel's way of speaking, Armstrongs body type, the voice of the Doctor. It had all been plucked from her memory. The dragon didn't even 'fake love' her. She'd fooled herself, again.

Sharply, she kicked the box containing the dragon's cursed book. She was going to make sure he never escaped that prison again, never, ever!

As Raven turned back to the sketchbook, she was about to close it and put it back in her trunk. But then she noticed something. Something that had fallen between the pages. Upon closer inspection, it was a crumb, a crumb from a potato chip.

Raven's mood darkened. That little imp had been through her stuff again!

Slamming the book and tossing it onto her bed Raven stamped out of her room. She'd kill that little troll when she got her hands on him.

She banged on his door sharply and waited for the disgusting ball of snot to answer, a pulsating vein throbbed on her head.

When Beast Boy opened the door she didn't speak, she just gave him a dark look.

"Whoa! Whatever I did, I'm sorry okay." He retreated as Raven entered the mess of a place he called a room. His clothes littered the place, junk food was left to rot on the table and his bed wasn't even made.

"You are so dead!" She threatened.

"What did I even do?" Beast Boy cried as if this was an injustice.

"Stop-going-through-my-stuff!" Raven hissed at him. She caught a glimpse of the computer screen to her right, something caught her eye. It was an image of a drawing, one that looked very familiar. Her head turned and glanced at the screen, taking it in for a full second. Her eyes rolled to take in Beast Boy for another second so he stayed where he was, then she looked back at the screen.

Approaching it, Raven expected lude drawings of girls. But no, this was of a picturesque place in the countryside. It didn't look like somewhere in the states. The rolling hills suggested England.

The website was dedicated to an artist. To a…

To Russel Hopkins…

What the…?

Raven used the mouse and she clicked on page after page, each drawing was a beautiful render of the places he'd been. Some were interpretative works, some were portraits. All were stunning to look at.

"Who is this 'Russel' guy?" Beast Boy asked, "A favourite artist?"

"You… could say that." Raven said, she didn't want to say more.

"You know, I used to draw!" Beast Boy said excitedly.

"I'm not interested in your crayon drawings, thank you." Raven dismissed. She found one drawing in particular. It was called the 'Shadow Girl' and if looked at the correct way it was definitely Raven herself, no question. Similar hair, similar build, but no way was she that tall. But the eyes, she had the same eyes.

Raven then considered. All that stuff with Devils End. It would've happened recently, relatively speaking, a few years ago. Technically, there would've been two Raven's wandering around the planet, and she didn't even know, nor think about it.

There was a contact address. She could communicate, she could talk to Russel again. But she squashed that idea. She wanted him to move on like she had. Technically, she'd now be older than he was, that would take some explaining. Would he even recognise her at all? Did he know about the Teen Titans? Did he ever see her on the news and think. 'I know that girl?' Probably not.

Beast Boy was giving her a weird look. Did he know? Shit, he'd looked in the book, he would've seen that picture of herself and Russel.

"Hey, if you want to talk to him." Beast Boy said tenderly, "There is his contact info." He pointed. "I'll just step out for a while and…" Raven grabbed his arm.

"That won't be necessary." She said flatly. "He's just an artist I liked. Trust me, people are not the same in person." She lied.

In reality, it had been so long that flame had long gone out, it was now cold, just like she was. She'd moved on and she didn't want to think about it anymore.

"My room, six o'clock." She'd said to Beast Boy, "you can have your bedtime story, so long as you don't bring any potato chips."

Beast Boy looked happy. "It's a date!"

"No, it isn't." Raven quickly cut across him, and she turned to leave his room, all anger forgotten. She risked looking back at the strange little creature. Despite finding evidence of a past flame, Beast Boy hadn't reacted the way she thought he would, instead he'd gone out of his way to find Russel and try to re-connect them. That was really sweet of him, but unnecessary. 'Love and Romance is for the weak-minded' after all. She guessed the short, green boy was kind of cute in some ways. Though in reality he was obviously just utterly hideous.

 _So why can't I stop looking at him?_

The penny was in the air and…

 _NOPE!_

She'd closed the door and was walking away before the penny even dropped.

* * *

 **To Be Continued…**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** That wraps up this one.

I appreciate any feedback which can be given on this tale. Romance is something new to me, but I've worked really hard to make it as believable as possible.

Wow, 77 chapters, and I'm still going. Thank you to all those who stuck around to keep reading this rather odd tale. I did my best and I might go back and make small adjustments here and there.

I think I'll leave what actually happened up to the imagination of the reader. Though there is a 'true version of events' which took place. But just know it was traumatic, and Raven blamed herself, and it's rooted in the themes the tale actually started with. One of self-control. ;)

Again, thanks for sticking with this story, I hope you all still enjoy it; and I promise the next venture is going to inject a lot of Doctor Who-ness into the crossover to make up for this little side-step. ;)

Merry Christmas

-TimeLordParadox


	79. Bk11 Chapter 78, Everyone Needs an Enemy

**Authors notes:** Okay, I realise the last story was a bit of a gamble and it feels like it ended in a bust. But with this one I've reverted to form, and in this one the Doctor is going to have his ideology challenged later on. Let's see what Raven thinks.

* * *

 **Book 11**

 **The Solution to Peace.**

The Doctor ponders why it is that any civilisation falls into war, why people cannot be content to live together in peace. Raven has the answer, 'they need an enemy to unite fight against, if you do not give them an enemy, they will look for and invent one.' The Doctor refuses to accept that, but they're both about to encounter a civilisation which succeeds in doing just that.

* * *

 **Chapter 78**

 **Everyone needs an enemy.**

The atmosphere was perfect. Two trunks set out either side of the bed with the Gallifreyan Trunk in the middle, on which sat candles. The low illumination gave the place a dark, creepy look. Which is just what Raven wanted.

She was really putting thought into her storytelling now, even down to the atmosphere she wanted to project. She even deliberately dialled down the heat in the room so both Beast Boy and Star Fire felt the cold like she did in this story.

Beast Boy eventually complained as he'd settled down on the boxes, which Raven had kindly produced a cushion for this time. Star Fire sat opposite but didn't feel the cold like Beast Boy did. He could be such a wuss sometimes.

Storytime had almost become a nightly tradition now. Each night for the past two weeks Raven had imparted a tale. Unless, of course, there were bad guys who needed to be stopped, which happened occasionally. But most nights, at six o'clock Raven, Star Fire and Beast Boy would gather to hear creepy or exciting tales from Raven's past life as a time traveller. Raven did consider maybe getting Cyborg or Robin in on these nightly tales. But in all honesty, Raven felt like she'd need to explain so much. About the Doctor and his shifting faces, the TARDIS and it's weird dimensions, about Time Lords, and so on that she'd spend half the night explaining all these things to them, only for them to look at her like she was mad.

Raven raised up the candles from the trunk with her powers, opened the box and fished for the object she needed to tell the next story. The Teen Titans had faced off against many enemies, but never anything like this. Never anything this cold, this calculating, this creepy.

"This tale starts when I was in the TARDIS zero room, practising my telekinetic abilities."

"Zero Room?" Beast Boy asked. Oh damn, that had been explained in the last adventure when she'd gone to Devils End.

"It's a calming room with a water pool. It's like a sensory deprivation tank." Beast Boy looked none the wiser. "Like a very quiet, shallow pool you lay in to help you disconnect from the world." Beast Boy looked like he still didn't understand, but nodded regardless.

"Anyway, I was practising my telekinetic abilities, and..."

"I thought you said you weren't using your powers anymore?" Beast Boy asked.

Oh damn, that's the problem when you miss a story out of sequence like this. "I changed my mind."

"Why?" The green boy asked.

"Because my powers needed to be controlled, not bottled up," Raven said simply.

"Can't we hear that story?" Raven was getting annoyed now.

"It's... a rather dull tale." Raven said fixing Beast Boy with laser-like eyes, "you won't like it."

"But I..." Raven sighed and burst out very quickly.

"Once upon a time I went to a place in England called Devils End in the early 2000s and while there I decided my powers weren't so bad after all. THE END!" Raven fumed.

"Jeez, sorry!" Beast Boy held up his hands defensively.

"Anyway, as I was saying..." But Beast Boy pipped up again.

"Is it something to do with that Russel guy?" That tore it!

Raven held her hand out, fingers splayed and cast a spell. Beast Boy suddenly morphed and turned into a small, cute, quiet hamster. Beastboy had tried to shield himself with his arms, crossing them over his head. Now he was a hamster with its arms crossed over its head. Beast Boy had expected a worse fate. When he realised he'd only been morphed he relaxed, then he strained as he tried to revert to being a human. But nothing was happening. Raven had locked his ability too.

"You can stay like that until you can learn to be quiet." She warned as it wriggled its nose in annoyance. The lock actually had a limit of about a minute, but he wouldn't know that, and hopefully, he wouldn't find out.

Raven turned to Star Fire who continued to smile sweetly, a little too sweetly. Clearly, she wanted to know about Russel too, but Raven was done with that story and she didn't want to go back to it. Ever.

With Star Fire and Hamster Boy being numb lipped Raven delved into her trunk and pulled from it a very long pole. It was longer than the trunk itself. The trunk came from the TARDIS, so go figure. When the pole was removed Star Fire gasped at what was on the end of it. Hamster Boy looked clueless by the way he looked to Star Fire and then back to Raven as if to ask 'What? What is it?' He didn't know how much damage one of these things could do in the wrong hands. Well, he was about to find out.

Closing the box she let the candles settle back onto it. Then taking her own place on her bed Raven began to tell her tale.

"Listen closely, this one is epic."

* * *

 ***Start the theme Music***

* * *

The world was so peaceful and quiet. Even the chattering in her head had stopped. Can you imagine your mind just stopping? Everything. To the point where you can bearly hear the beating of your own heart because even that had slowed so much. Just being aware of the rhythmic rising and falling of your chest.

She didn't feel the water around her, nor the purple light above her. Her legs dangled from her knee joint into the deeper part of the pool. Every breath out felt like she was expelling toxins, dirt. Stuff that clogged her brain up.

Raven knew only blackness, and it was bliss.

Her mind reached out through her mind chakra and found a boulder which sat in the TARDIS Zero room like some form of feng shui decoration. She felt its texture with her mind, the smooth, cold marble. The microscopic pits on its surface. In her mind, she imagined cupping it with her hands, despite it being three times her size, and she focused on lifting it. She didn't need to look, she knew it was moving. Up into the air it went. Now keeping it in place she focused on another rock in the corner and preformed the same technique. Up it went. Followed by another boulder, and another, and another.

Raven took a deep breath, then exhaled, as she did she set the boulders in motion. Gently, they orbited the pool covered in darkness. She didn't do anything fancy, she just relaxed and let the boulders move. This was very therapeutic and felt like she was balancing herself.

It almost felt like sleeping, perhaps she had fallen asleep, but her powers had almost become like a reflex. She didn't need to focus entirely. She could just point her mind and everything moved so easily. Like learning to play a musical instrument, the more you practised, the more you would find you could do things without thinking about them. If you were distracted there was less chance of making a mistake and dropping everything.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos. Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos. Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos." Went her softly speaking voice.

"Zagreus sits inside your head, Zagreus lives among the dead." She used both rhymes interchangeably. Both worked at focusing her mind. This meant there were now several things going on that her brain was able to focus on. But only because she was so relaxed.

There were no visions this time. She felt her mind in total balance. No warnings, no reflections of inner turmoil. Her dark, quiet, ordered mind.

 _Oranges and Lemons,_

 _say the bells of saint Clemons._

 _You owe me two fathings,_

 _say the bells of Saint Martins._

That rhyme rang in her head, the one she first heard in the Land of Fiction. She didn't mind it. It was still kind of soothing...

 _When will you pay me?_

 _Say the bells of old bailey._

* * *

Later, when returning to the control room, dressed in her usual attire, Raven was puzzled when she found the corridor outside her room to be completely uneven underfoot. She'd been stepping on a set of train track's, tiny train tracks. She stepped off them just in time for an electric steam train model to whiz past her, whistling as it went. Several carriages were also being pulled behind it, red with green decorations.

 _Oh great, what has the Doctor been doing now to occupy himself?_ She began walking down the corridor, every now and then she had to stop to let a train go past. To let the same train go past, as it turned out. As it passed she saw there were tiny figures on the engine and in the carriages. The Doctor really went overboard with this, as he does with everything.

Slowly becoming irritated by the constant whistles and the racket they made Raven plan to kick it off the track the next time it came around. When she heard it approach she didn't step off the track. But she jumped out of her skin when she heard. "Oi! Move your backside!" Shout up at her from the train. She was instantly out of its way as it came past. The small model people were looking at her as it went past. Okay, that was creepy. The Doctor was a clever man when it came to building these things, but sometimes he didn't realise when his creations were just down-right disturbing.

She followed the train into the console room. Her face dropped at what she was looking at, and it annoyed the hell out of her. The track looped the console and went off in another direction, crossing other tracks. The entire console room was covered in train tracks, with dozens of trains running around it.

There were also so many flashing lights, bunting, and streamers, fairy lights and at the back near the small garden was a tree so tall it left the console room and broke into the void above.

From his gramophone came the sound of soft playing music.

'I'm dreaming of a white Christmas.

Just like the ones I used to know.'

"This had better be temporary," Raven said in a moody monotone to the Time Lord.

"Rae-Rae!" The Doctor called. He was wearing a silly-looking floppy red hat with a white ball of fluff on the end of it. He lept down from a ladder he had next to the giant tree. "You're just in time!"

"I'm out!" She said instantly and she turned on her heel to walk out. She'd barely taken two steps before the Doctor called out.

"But it's Christmas!"

"We've already had Christmas." Raven reminded him.

"Yes, but that wasn't a real Christmas." The Doctor dismissed.

True, it was a delusion in the mind of a dying man. A man Raven failed to save. That kind of made Christmas a sore point to her, just as much as her own birthday.

"This time it really is Christmas, and we're going to have the full deal." The Doctor said, excitedly. "Christmas Trees, the shiny bunting, the fairy lights, Christmas dinner, plum pudding, and not forgetting..." he paused for effect, "decorating the tree!"

"I don't do religious holidays, Doctor." Raven said back.

"Come on, you spoilsport!" He laughed, holding up boxes containing balls and tinsel streamers. "Put on a Christmas hat and help me decorate the tree."

Raven held up her hand, all the balls and streamers flew out of their boxes and arranged themselves around the tree, same with some fairy lights. A star was placed on top too. Then the whole thing lit up giving it a warmly glow. The Doctor looked greatly disappointed.

"Can I go now?" Raven asked.

"How can you not like Christmas?" He asked with such excitement.

"Because it's pointless," Raven said flatly.

"Don't give me that argument again. Of course it's not pointless. We're supposed to celebrate friends, family, and peace."

"All of which makes me puke," Raven said, unimpressed. She turned to leave.

"You get presents."

Raven's ears perked up. "Presents? What do you mean, presents?"

"Ha! I thought that'd catch your ear." He laughed as he picked up a package that was neatly wrapped up. It was also tied up with coloured string with a bow on it. It was in her colours of dark purple, black and blue. He presented it to Raven and she took it from him, looking at it like he'd given her a sock. Without her noticing, he'd then moved around her back and placed on her head one of those stupid hats.

Raven didn't verbally protest, but her dark expression became one of livid annoyance. She shut her eyes tight and sighed to herself as she muttered. "No, I can't kill him, it'd be like killing Bambi."

 _That's a bad thing?_

"Aren't you going to open it?" He asked, smiling at her in an expectant kind of way. Like a parent waiting for their child to burst with excitement. Ha, what could the Doctor have possibly gotten her that she'd ever want?

Gently, she tore into the packaging, removing the string and ripping the paper off it. Underneath all that was a cardboard box. What a wasted effort wrapping it up. She opened the box and within...

Raven looked unimpressed at first, she had to blink a few times as her face settled and took in what she was looking at. It was a book. But not just any kind of book. This was a spellbook, a spellbook that was really old. Raven had thought she'd never see it with her own eyes. It was the Book of Azar. Her tutor's spellbook. One she'd thought long ago lost.

Raven looked up at the Doctor, disbelief in her eyes. The Time Lord must've had it.

"It was gifted to me all those years ago in my first incarnation." He said, amused with her expression, "First printing, you could say. It's of little use to me, I can't do 'magic' as you call it. So I thought. Oh..."

Raven had her arms around the Doctor, hugging him. This meant a lot to her and in the split second she didn't know how else to show her appreciation. She broke it off just as quickly and acted as if nothing had happened.

"Say one word to anyone." Raven's eyes gave him a warning. The Doctor laughed with a look which said 'my lips are sealed, your majesty.' But now Raven felt a little wretched. "I... didn't get you anything." She admitted, sadness crossing her face.

"Honestly, just to see you so happy for a change is good enough for me." He said charmingly.

"Don't go soft on me, Time Lord." Raven bit at him but didn't say much else. Her eyes drifted from the Doctor and back to her new spellbook. Azar's first spellbook was said to contain some really original magics even Azar himself had forgotten from his youth, and she was about to read about them!

"It's time for Christmas dinner." The Doctor announced.

"Yeah, you carry on without me," Raven said, walking towards her reading chair. But the Doctor plucked the book from her hands, set it down on the console and turned to her with a stern, yet playful smile.

"We're going to have Christmas dinner now, young lady. I slaved over a hot stove for hours for this." Raven just sighed deeply as she gave the Doctor a look of, 'Are you kidding me?'

"Okay, for your Christmas present, I'll play these games," Raven said, allowing the Doctor to lead her from the console room. "But if I hear just one Christmas cracker joke, I swear, I'm launching that big tree into the Time Vortex."

* * *

They had barely made it down the main corridor when they'd seen it. A multiple train pile up on the corridor. No damage had happened, they were just plastic after all. But all the little people the Doctor had made were crawling out of the wreckage and were utterly angry at each other.

The Doctor knelt and reached out to put the train's back. But the little men didn't seem to want that, as they brandished their little shovels at his hand and began hitting him with them. Despite it not hurting, the Doctor retracted his hand. Something was going through his head and Raven couldn't understand what.

"You were supposed to maintain and look after yourselves." The Doctor said as if this was some great disaster. Was it an experiment of some kind? He sighed as he got up. "A perfect civilisation would somehow get the trains to run on time."

"Is that what all this is about?" Raven asked.

"I tried an experiment with these little creatures centuries ago." The Doctor said, "I created these small robots and left them in a controlled environment. I programmed them to try to get on, to live happily." The Doctor sighed, disappointed. "Their civilisation broke down, formed into two factions and began fighting each other. They made more of each other and further they fractured. I'd left them in the TARDIS trainset all those years. I came back not a decade later and they'd all but wiped each other out."

"They're not robots, Doctor." Weird to say of actual, tiny robotic creatures, but... "Okay, they are robots. But you programmed them to be like people. People will always find a reason to fight each other, to hate each other."

"Yes, but why?" He sounded like such an innocent child who couldn't understand an adult concept. "John Calhoun once preformed an experiment where he gave mice a paradise to live in. He called it Universe 25. Beautiful living accommodations, unlimited food and water. Within two years it had descended from a Utopia into its own Apocalyse. But the reason for that was just over population in a confined space, the mice couldn't live with each other."

"You're saying people are no different?" Raven asked.

"I had hoped intelligence would increase the odds of survival." The Doctor said, he sounded genuinely sad about this.

"The potential for intelligence does not mean they'll be intelligent, nor moral." Raven dismissed. The Doctor sighed in agreement. "Every civilisation needs an enemy, Doctor, whether that be mere survival or an actual person. When you don't provide one, they'll make one, and usually it's out of themselves."

"Raven, that is something I will never accept about humanity, nor about any form of civilisation." The Doctor said coldly. Something about his manner told Raven he suspected what she said to be the case, but just didn't want it to be the answer.

"Give them an enemy, Doctor. Fifty pounds says they'll unite to fight it, and they'll have peace within their civilisation." Raven said.

"And who is your enemy?" The Doctor asked. "If everyone needs an enemy, who is yours? What is the creature you've made your enemy?"

 _Zagreus sits inside your head,_

 _Zagreus lives among the dead,_

 _Zagreus sees you in your bed,_

 _and eats you when you're sleeping._

"I said every civilisation, not everybody." Raven corrected, "My enemy?" She thought for a second, then the teen fixed him with a look, her eyes relaxed and her frown straightened, "It's you, obviously."

"Careful, or I might ground you." The Doctor laughed.

"Isn't Christmas torture enough?" Raven challenged with a playful edge to her dead sounding voice.

"Raven, you will enjoy Christmas, even if it kills you." The Doctor said. Raven's face fell back down.

"Please, kill me."

"Come on," He said, his enthusiasm recharged, "Christmas Dinner, then I'm taking you to the frost fair. London,the 1800's, the Thames completely freezes over and they have a marvellous fair on the ice. Just keep an eye out for a young fellow in a cricket jumper and steer me away from him, if you wouldn't mind."

Raven was feeling her patience wear thin. If Raven was right then the Book of Azar was going to be left unread for a few hours, possibly days, because a bad habit with the TARDIS was that it never landed in the right place, and it always landed them in the middle of trouble.

In an hour, Raven was so utterly surprised that she had been one-hundred per cent correct.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** Nothing much to add, except.

-Merry Christmas!


	80. Chapter 79, A Monster After All

**Authors notes:** Plenty are aware that I was not happy with the last story arc and so I have made some large changes.

The most significant change is that I've made Russel an autistic boy. This alters almost everything and a lot has been added to accommodate this. I did this because I thought a teenager with autism, especially one trying to mask their autism and pretend they're normal, perfectly reflected Raven's own struggles within the arc; trying to pretend to be a normal girl and ignoring her powers. It also added weight to Raven's later realisation that she'd effectively become the very 'friends' who later betrayed her in the Land of Fiction and allowed her to be beaten up.

The last major change is how Raven and Russel break up. I decided to make it so Raven's powers actually hurt Russel while they were 'together' in a similar vein to how Rogue in X-men can't have proper relationships because her powers cause so many problems for her boyfriends.

I've also removed the 'summoning spell/curse' part, because it just became surplus to requirements and made the arc too messy and unfocused. But I might recycle the idea for later.

I'm now satisfied that the previous arc works a lot better now. So…

ONWARDS! To the next threat to the universe.

* * *

 **Chapter 79**

 **A Monster After All.**

The wheeze and groans of the arriving Time Capsule halted and the doors of the police box were pulled open instantly.

From within emerged the Doctor, still with his Christmas hat on.

"We wish you a merry Christmas, we wish you a merry… oh…"

Stepping out of the TARDIS behind him was Raven, her boots and wintery attire sank into the sandy beach they had landed on.

"I'm certainly going to catch my death out here." Raven said as the heat assaulted her. She had changed into a wintery version of her own attire. Still in her favourite colours of black and blue, except what she wore were more like thermals that hugged her form tightly. The top had white frills around it's hem which hung around her hips. She also now wore blue, thermal gloves and boots to keep her hands and feet warm. It had all just appeared in her room when she'd returned to it. The Doctor hadn't given it to her, so she assumed it was another gift from the TARDIS itself. Over all that she wore her usual cloak, hood up.

Obviously, she was now over dressed for this blistering heat.

"Maybe global warming caught up with them." The Doctor said, trying to excuse his mistake. Clearly, he'd screwed up again.

"Admit it, you screwed up." Raven challenged him.

"I… ah… the TARDIS got the flight wrong." Raven rolled her eyes.

"The TARDIS my foot, don't blame that machine for your bad driving." Raven said turning to the Doctor.

"Bad driving? Excuse me…"

"You're excused." Raven challenged, "A trip to the store for milk turns into a galactic quest with you."

"Well, would you prefer it any other way?" The Doctor asked.

Raven opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out, not even a lie. Sighing she made her head fall forward onto his chest in a defeated posture.

"I fickin' hate you, Time Lord."

"So you keep telling me." The Doctor laughed, pushing her off him. "Anyway, come on. Let's pop in and try again."

"Try again? You're not going to explore?" That was so unlike the Doctor.

"Beach tomorrow, today Christmas, come on." The Doctor said disappearing into the TARDIS doors. Sighing, Raven followed, closing the door behind her.

The TARDIS began to wheeze and groan as it faded out, the light on top flashing as it went.

Silence for just a few seconds.

A wheeze and a groan started up again and the TARDIS materialised in exactly the same spot. The sound halted and the door was pulled open.

"Dashing through the snow, On a one-horse open sleigh, Over the fields we go, Laughing all the… way." The Doctor stopped when he realised the TARDIS had not moved.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha." Raven said sarcastically and smugly behind him.

The Doctor looked at Raven, then the TARDIS, then at his surroundings.

"Something is keeping us here, dragging us down." The Doctor concluded.

"Of course it is." Raven said smugly.

"Wipe that look off your face, it doesn't suit it." The Doctor said without even looking at her face. Raven's face dropped into more of a pout, then she stuck her tongue out at him behind his back.

* * *

The dark interior of the TARDIS was freezing when compared to the scorching sun outside. A whistle signalled the approach of an oncoming toy train, and Raven smoothly stepped off the track to let it rattle past before stepping back on it again.

Again, the time rotor moved up and down, and crashed to a stop, and yet again the TARDIS had failed to move. The Doctor adjusted some controls and tried to take off again. More moans and groans as the TARDIS took off. Then the time rotor froze with the sound of a snapping spring. The Doctor brought his fist down on the console and it roared back into life again, only to rematerialize again. Still, going by the scanner they had not moved.

"I guess we could have an Australian Christmas." The Doctor mused.

"The TARDIS is broken, again." Raven stated with raised eyebrows and a bored look on her face.

"No, no, no, no, no." The Doctor said, she was getting a little irritated when he did that. Repeat the same word over and over. It literally meant, 'shut up while I think'. "The TARDIS is a complex machine, it's not just a matter of programming it, it's being able to communicate, being able to talk to it, persuade it, encourage it." Again, the Time Rotor jammed and he smacked the console to get it moving, and again, landed exactly where they tried to leave.

"Oh yeah, she sounds so convinced." Raven said dryly in a mocking tone, though inside she enjoyed the Doctor's scowling face. He looked adorable when he did that.

"Well, I'd like to see the Daughter of Trigon try any better." He challenged, stepping off the console dais, his hands indicating that he was relinquishing the controls to her.

"You know I don't know how to fly the TARDIS." Raven said back.

"Alright, a quick crash course." The Doctor pointed out controls. "That is the real world interface, you'll want to carefully disengage that, NEVER take off with it engaged. Next you vent the thermal buffer or risk overheating the time rotor, adjust the helmic regulator to minus ten points. Make sure the jouls meter doesn't drop below one thousand, or else we're using more power than we're storing. Then activate the dematerialision circuits. Do not, I repeat do not disengage the brakes."

"Why?"

"Because I like the noise." The Doctor smiled, "Romana always told me to get the brakes serviced. Luckily, I always won that argument. I mean, can you imagine the TARDIS without the noise?"

"I could live with it." Raven dismissed, "and that's how you fly the TARDIS?" He'd said it all so fast that she barely grasped it.

"No, that's just how you take off. Flying is much more difficult."

"Sure it is." Raven sighed. The Doctor motioned for her to take his place at the helm, and she did so. Staring at the controls she was regretting this challenge. Half of what he'd told her had gone in one ear and out the other. Her hands hovered over the controls for a second thinking until she realised something.

Logically, everything should be set up, all she needed do was activate the dematerialisation circuit. But if she did that all that would happen was that the TARDIS would take off and land again. Gingerly, she adjusted controls. Raven glanced at the Doctor's reflection in the Time Rotor to judge form his reactions if she was pressing the right buttons and turning the correct dials. She took the helmic regulator and pushed it to minus eleven points just to make it look like she knew what she was doing.

Then she grasped the take off lever. She took a deep breath and pulled it down. The TARDIS began its dematerialisation cycle, wheezing and groaning as it vanished into the time vortex. Then the time rotor stopped.

The Doctors playful and yet smug face was reflected in the time rotor. Raven looked at her fist, but she didn't whack the base of the Time Rotor like he did. Instead, she stood back, reached into her powers, and quickly said her chimes and waved her hands.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!" Her eyes glowed and she reached out with both hands for the upper and lower parts of the time rotor. Both crowns of crystals were shrouded in darkness as Raven forced them to move. The TARDIS shuddered. The mechanism was so worn down that a little help from Raven was useful to it. It needed space oil, or whatever the Doctor would use to lubricate it.

The demon girl helped the mechanism along a little before dropping her powers and letting the TARDIS fly itself. But then came the sound of materialisation, followed by the ka'chud of landing.

The Doctor laughed, "Nice try, Rae-Rae." He looked so smug, Raven was considering doing something to wipe that annoying look from his face. Maybe she should trap him in her hand held mirror for a few hours. But she didn't need to wipe that look off his face herself, because he took one look at the TARDIS console and his smug face became a frown almost instantly.

The Doctor's grey eyes looked up at her as if she'd played some kind of cruel trick on him. He looked down at the console, then up at the teenage sorceress.

"Beginners luck." He accused. His face went darker when a smirk played across Raven's face. She had no idea what she did, but it had ruffled the Doctors feathers. That was good enough for her.

* * *

The TARDIS doors opened and the Doctor and Raven stepped from the Police Box.

The TARDIS had materialised in a room. A large, metallic room painted in gun metal grey. It was clearly a storage cupboard of some kind going by the mops, buckets and brooms.

"We've landed on a space ship." The Doctor said as he played with a yo-yo he'd picked out of his frock coat pocket. "The gravity fluctuates once every pico-second. Very telling of artificial gravity generators, and by the feeling of motion this ship will carry us outside the range of whatever is dragging us back, and hey presto, we'll be on our way to London in no time."

He then turned to Raven and said sternly. "Wipe that look off your face." There wasn't a look on her face. "I don't buy for one moment that your flight was intentional."

"Funny you should say that." Raven said coolly maintaining eye contact. "I often say that about your piloting."

They held the gaze for a few moments, until the tension gave way. The Doctor burst out laughing and Raven expressed herself by looking down as a very slight smile appeared on her pale face.

"While we're here let's explore the craft." The Doctor was out of the broom cupboard in a heartbeat and he was strolling towards heaven knows where.

"It's not wise to wander around someone else's ship." Raven said as she hurried to catch him up.

"You stowed aboard the TARDIS." The Doctor reminded her. Raven's face dropped a little.

"Smart ass!" was all she could think to say.

"I know you are, but what am I?" The Doctor said in a childish tone. The two came to a stop when they heard a voice shout.

"Halt! Stay where you are!" What looked like some kind of soldier or guard was coming up towards them. The Doctor turned and whispered to Raven in a quick, hushed tone.

"Here goes the usual rigmaroll. Get taken to their leader, we don't provide an adequate explanation for our presence. We get locked up, we escape…."

"… yeah, then you find something you want to investigate, we get caught up in it, accused of being the problem, maybe even murder, probably…" Raven added.

"…Then we sort it out, put on a pot of tea, have a bit of a chat and head back to the TARDIS with a job well done."

"Sounds like every other day while I'm around you." Raven said, her tone framing it as a complaint.

"You know, now that you mention it, I've never considered how formulaic my adventures actually are." The Doctor mused. The soldier stopped in front of them. "Oh, hello. We were just taking a turn on the deck with my friend here, and we'd thought we'd pop down here to get out of the dreadful weather."

"Space weather?" Raven asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, a dreadful draft up there from the solar winds and all that." The Doctor smiled. "Now, if you could just point us in the direction of the promenade deck we'll be out of your hair." The words had barely left his mouth when the guard raised his gun up so the barrel pointed under the Doctor's nose. "Oh, sorry, but I don't need a nasal trim, thank you. I take it, the promenade deck is out of bounds?" The soldier didn't answer, it was like his steely look was permanently affixed to his face. "Or it doesn't exist? We're in deep trouble aren't we?" The Doctor asked.

Slowly the Doctor raised his hands. He then glanced at Raven and motioned with his arms for her to raise them. Sighing and rolling her eyes Raven slowly, as if bored, raised her hands up. The Doctor then turned back to the soldier and said. "Alright, let's try it like this. Take me to your leader."

"Sometimes I'm so embarrassed to be with you." Raven muttered.

* * *

Raven was tempted to unleash her powers, but the Doctor motioned her to hold back. She could very easily take this guard down. She wanted to hypnotise him and make him drop his gun, it would've been so easy. But she followed the Doctor's instructions.

As they were led through the ship there were noticeable scorch marks here and there. They both had to stop when they were about to step over a dead body. They were both going to protest that they had nothing to do with it, but the soldier poked his gun into their backs and made them walk on.

"Have you noticed anything funny about our little trigger happy friend?" The Doctor asked Raven.

"You mean the fact he hasn't shot us yet for being insane?" Raven quipped.

"His weapon, his armour, helmet, tunic and so on all don't match, and they're poorly maintained. Unlike the ship we're walking through." The Doctor pointed out. "I don't think he's a member of this ships crew."

"Scorch marks on the walls." Raven added, "and dead bodies."

"Well spotted."

"We can hardly miss them." Raven sighed.

"Space pirates?" The Doctor asked turning to look at their soldier.

"Eye's forward!" The soldier commanded. "And don't you dare call us Space Pirates. You flew your ship into our territory, without authorisation. We treated you like any other invasion force."

"I thought standard procedure would've been to blow it up. Not that I'm complaining." The Doctor said. "Yet you choose to board it instead. Curious isn't it?"

The soldier forced his gun into the Doctor's back. "Move it!"

Raven gave the soldier a warning look, but he clearly didn't take the short, goth girl seriously.

The pair were led out into a large loading bay where more Space Pirates had the actual crew of the ship surrounded. The crew were dressed in clean, grey uniforms with an emblem on the breast of a planet in a circle.

Raven and the Doctor were led to this group of people and both were forcibly pushed into the crew.

"Who the hell are you?" Asked an official looking member of the crew with a big, white moustache.

"Would you believe we're time travellers who just so happened to fall into this mess?" The Doctor asked, the guy didn't look convinced. "Then just call us stowaways, if it makes things easier."

"Do you know the penalty for stowaways?" Raven guessed this guy was the captain or something.

"A quick pot of tea followed by a slap on the wrists and a hefty fine of five million pounds?" The Doctor suggested.

"No, a long pot of tea followed by trial and execution." The man said.

"Really? How efficient. Oh well, that was my next guess." The Doctor looked to Raven and smiled, he wasn't worried about being stuck here and neither was she.

All around the pirates were loading metallic crates on hovering platforms into smaller shuttle craft. Despite not wanting to be called Space Pirates they certainly were acting like pirates.

Raven frowned, she knew what was about to happen. Wait for it, wait for it. Oh goodie, there was the TARDIS, loaded into one of those hover slays and being loaded into one of the shuttle craft. The Doctor noticed too.

"We've got to get on that shuttle." The Doctor whispered.

"The thought had crossed my mind." Raven whispered back. "I could hypnotise them all to give it back." She suggested.

Without prompting she focused on one of the soldiers and stared into his eyes. Her consciousness reached out and tried to push his mind aside to accept and obey her as his master.

 _You will obey me._ She projected into his mind through her purple eyes. _You will obey me. You will order your men to bring that box back. Obey me._

The man stared at Raven and came closer as Raven repeated her instructions. The closer he came, the easier this should be.

 _You will obey…_ Then she felt pain as the soldier punched her in the stomach and she keeled over. The Doctor was at her side in a second checking she was okay.

"Now that wasn't very gentlemanly." The Doctor fumed his eyes fixing the solider with an intense look.

"Oh, I'm sorry." The soldier bit sharply, "next time she tries to hypnotise me I'll do the gentlemanly thing and shoot her in the head!"

"That shouldn't be necessary." The Doctor said as Raven caught her breath and the pain in her ribs subsided. She clenched her fists and held her anger back. She so wanted to snap that guys neck. Snap his neck, crush his body to a pulp, and squash his brain in his skull. Feeling the Doctor's parental like attention made her calm down. But she was going to remember that guy and make him pay, later.

Another shuttle entered the hanger through a hazy force field in the side of the hull and landed on the deck. This one looked a little grander than the others, but still old and beaten up.

The loading ramp lowered, but nothing went up it, instead someone came down. A heavy set man, his large boots sharply impacting the deck as he stepped off. He was a tall, imposing figure. His gait suggested a false leg. He wore a large trench coat with the collar up, the coat covered his larger physique of well over six foot. His craggy face showed a battle weary person. The look was completed by his trimmed beard, unkept, thinning hair and an eye patch across his right eye.

Raven's blood ran cold. She nudged the Doctor, despite knowing he won't know who the hell that was. He'd been more preoccupied with the Cybermen at the time. The giant was the murderer, the butcher. Raven had asked, pleaded with him as a child to be good. But it seems he still walked the path of war, slaughter and destruction. Despite not being his mother Raven weirdly felt disappointed by him.

It was little Corentin. He'd become the monster after all.

* * *

 **To Be Continued…**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** Nothing really much to add, other than this was really fun to write and I hope you all enjoyed it.

Oh, for those who don't remember Corentin. We met him before as a baby in the Cybermen arc.


	81. Chapter 80, Big Dog

**Chapter 80**

 **Big Dog.**

She tried to contain herself, tried so hard to be an unfeeling stone. Conceal, do not feel! But it wasn't working. She couldn't shake these feelings, they were always present. Always itching at the back of her head, no matter how much she focused on other things there was still that voice chatting away in her head.

Raven opened her eyes and looked at her pale hands, her grey skin, skin that was as grey as a corpse. Maybe if she'd been born with a more natural skin tone then perhaps Azarath would be more accepting of her. But that was just delusional thinking, it wasn't the colour of her skin that made the other children of Azarath hate her, but the fact she was just odd. She liked creepy things, she loved spiders, and bats, and cobwebs. Love of such things was just not normal, but no matter how much she tried she couldn't change herself. She just liked macabre stuff.

Jealousy was another explanation for their treatment of her. Raven was the most powerful psychic on Azarath. Many techniques which most monks struggled for years to master Raven picked up instinctively. She was wrapping objects with her soul-self by age four. By age five she was moving things around with her soul-self. But though she was talented, she was also weak socially, she was shy of others. You'd think being so powerful would grant you some admiration from your peers, or at the very least your generation. But no. At the time she'd thought the other monks would hold out their hands and accept her. But no, her weak social confidence made her a target instead.

Why? The monks of Azarath were about peace, balance and harmony, it was practically part of their mantra. So why were they so judgemental and horrible to her?

It was like Raven represented everything they didn't stand for, but were too chicken to confront or confide in her what exactly that was. Perhaps if they told her it was something she could remedy. Maybe they didn't want it to be remedied, they wanted an enemy. So she had to suffer in ignorance of whatever crime she was unknowingly committing just by existing.

Raven shifted, she sat, crossed legged on a poof on the floor. Her short stature betraying her age. She felt much older than she looked, and she was only ten.

Across from her was a wizen old man with a very long beard, relaxed, cold eyes and wrinkles which betrayed the mans great age and a face which showed great wisdom. Azar. The founder of the Monks of Azarath, and her mentor and tutor. She'd liked to have called him her 'father' but they didn't have that kind of relationship. Raven didn't even know who her true father was, but by the whispers going around the temple he wasn't a good man. Or wasn't seen as a good man by Azarath. Raven had some childish fantasy that her real father was actually a good man who the order vilified for some stupid, petty reason, and she was just waiting for her father to come and rescue her from them; just like in the start of the first book in the 'His Dark Materials' series which she had hidden under her mattress. But Azar wasn't a bad man, he didn't judge her like the others, he was helpful, but though he was the Grand Master he had very little influence over the other monks and tutors.

 _He can't help me, or maybe he won't help me?_

"Something troubles you child?" Azar had suddenly asked in such a calm and weak voice which made him sound so brittle. Raven's lips twitched, she wanted to speak, but she didn't want to sound like a child. "Speak freely, child."

"I… Everyone hates me." Raven said before she could think. "Why?"

Azar did not open his eyes. He looked content as he meditated in her presence. He looked like he was thinking of the best response for whatever wisdom he was about to impart.

"Why does it matter to you?" Azar asked. That seemed like a nonsensical question to Raven, but she answered it.

"It… it doesn't… it… it shouldn't." She stumbled, "But why? What have I done?"

Again Azar paused before he spoke. "We are all the bad guy in someone's story."

"Even you?"

"Yes, even me." Azar chuckled, "I think you'll find many of the tutors are rather pleased with your progress and your work."

"But it doesn't feel that way." Raven sighed. Sure, some of the tutors were like guardians and great teachers, but she didn't have any… 'connection,' with them. If that made sense.

"Let us continue to meditate. Remember your chimes." Azar fell back into meditation and Raven followed suit.

"Azarath Metrion, Zynthos." Raven said under her breath. But the old man was saying something else.

"Azarrox, Mentos, Zimbabway."

"What are you doing?" Raven asked raising an eye brow, "That's not the chant."

"Did I do it right before?" Azar asked.

"Yeah."

"Then why didn't you congratulate me?" Raven didn't know what he was getting at. What would be the point in congratulating him?

"Because you were doing it right." Raven answered like the good little student. There was a thought in Raven's head that was trying to click, but though she almost grasped it, it was just slightly out of her reach. Azar could sense this and did not interfere with Raven's turning wheels. "In life I'll never be congratulated for doing what is expected of me, but I will be criticised if I do something wrong?"

Azar smiled a mysterious smile.

"Master Azar, that is not what's bothering me." Raven said, though that was only partially true.

"Isn't it?" Azar asked mysteriously. Raven had the feeling he was just being facetious.

"People just don't like me, and I don't know why." Raven said again, "The order teaches us to not fear difference, but accept it. I am different, but I'm not accepted. Why doesn't the rule apply to me?"

Azar gave off the air of someone carrying a great pain in his heart.

"People often mean well, in how they present themselves, at least." He began. "There are monks here who do accept you. Those who don't are the ones failing in their duty, not you. In life, in the world beyond, it will not be like Azarath. There will be people like that in the world. If we made this temple a place safe from such behaviour we would never learn to rise above and tolerate it. We could never operate in the world outside."

"But it hurts." Raven said with genuine hurt in her voice.

"Of course it hurts." Azar reassured, "But what would you do to make yourself feel secure? What would you do to make yourself feel safe from emotional hurt? And when do you stop? How many people must you hurt in the pursuit of this ideal world for yourself?"

"I wouldn't want to hurt anyone!" Raven insisted, she just wanted people to treat her as 'normal' and an equal despite her differences. Was that too much to ask?

"You would." Azar said. Raven didn't see how she could hurt people, all because she wanted to feel accepted, be treated like a normal person, to stop the teasing and the talk that goes on behind her back. How could that cause people hurt? All she'd be doing is forcing them to shut up and make them treat her like a normal person. If it did cause them hurt then surely the hurt it caused them was well deserved.

She could tell Azar could feel or at least anticipate these thoughts in her head. He had that look on is face which said, 'This is not something I can easily teach you, it is something you must experience.'

In her ten year old mind there was nothing to teach or experience. People were just being horrible because they thought fair rules shouldn't apply to her. She'd give anything to have one friend, just one. In her view, the world she inhabits was just full of evil, it just dressed itself up as 'good'.

Raven got up in frustration and stamped over to the wall, she couldn't meditate with these thoughts running through her head. She felt like she wanted to take off, she wanted to run, and run and run and tire herself out to distract her from these thoughts. She wanted to vent, she wanted to hurt and she wanted to destroy. She knew such things were wrong and it took great mental effort to hold back the torrent of power she'd nearly unleashed. Her whole body twitched like a badly controlled puppet when the power piled up behind her chakras. She clenched her fists and her nails began digging into her palms with the strain.

"Let me tell you a story." Azar said. Raven stood, still seething with anger but she obeyed her master and returned to her spot and adopted the meditation stance. "There was a friend of mine, kind of eccentric, very intelligent. Though he's what you'd term as a 'Space Drifter' in a way. He told me of an experience he'd had while he was little. He'd had a dark day too, he didn't understand his place in the order of the universe, and so he went up into the mountains to seek solace and solitude. While there he came across a wizen old man, a monk of sorts, an old hermit. The hermit was sitting on a large rock, meditating quite peacefully and calmly. The boy knew this hermit and he sought truth and meaning from this person as his existence felt meaningless. The boy poured his heart out to this hermit, and the hermit sat and listened."

Raven was engrossed, she wanted to hear more. "What happened next?"

"The wizen old man raised a skeletal arm and he pointed."

"At what?" Raven was leaning forwards, eager to hear this wisdom, this mystery that was so profound.

"A flower." Raven's face fell. A flower? Raven didn't mind flowers, but she didn't see why this should be a revelation. It sounded more like something a hippy would point to. "Yes, a flower. More of a weed really."

Raven released a pent up sigh. She didn't care if it was rude or disrespectful to him, she wanted to express her frustration. Azar chuckled in the way wise old men do, he seemed like he expected her response, perhaps he even planned it.

From under his clean robes his hands appeared, holding something Raven didn't even knew he had. A plant pot, within was a single flower. A weed from the garden, it's head and petals a vibrant yellow.

"What?" Raven asked as Azar motioned for her to take it. She did and held it away from herself as if he'd given her a pair of his own socks. She looked at him up and down. "What else do you keep under there?" She asked dryly. Azar ignored her.

"I want you to take care of that flower." Azar said, "I want you to nurture it, look after it, help it grow."

Raven raised an eyebrow. "Is this some attempt to make me feel like a nurturing girl?" She asked a little disrespectfully. She was a girl, she was happy being a girl, she just didn't want to be a 'typical girl,' it didn't feel natural to her.

"Take care of the plant, Raven." Azar said, "and I am confident the lesson will come to you."

"How will this get me respect? How will this make people treat me like a normal person?" Raven asked.

"It won't, that is not the lesson."

Raven wanted to smash the plant pot there and then. But then she looked down at it. She felt its petals and its delicate leaves as she gently rubbed them between her fingers as if it could feel her delicate touch.

"I don't know how to look after a plant." Raven said.

"It is very simple. You'll learn." Azar smiled that old, mysterious mentor smile she found so irritating. Then he motioned for her to leave him so he might meditate alone.

Raven carried the plant pot with her back to her dorm. All the while she looked at it. She had an impulse to smash it to the ground and stamp on it until it was dead. Why should she look after it? No one looked after her, if it can't survive on its own then maybe it shouldn't survive at all. It was a weed, it was a leech, she knew little about weeds but she did know it drew out all the nutrients from the soil and starved other plants around it, it was a menace. Was it supposed to represent her? Was Azar trying to say Raven was a weed soaking up everyone's evil impulses and actions? Raven so wanted to destroy this flower and whatever it was supposed to represent now. But still, she returned to her dorm and sat it down on a table.

 _I think I'd like you better if you weren't so yellow._ She thought to it as she took some water in a cup and poured it over it's petals. _I'd prefer you if you came in black_ _._

* * *

Corentin moved like a dangerous animal. There was a limp in his step as he walked due to an ill-fitting prosthetic leg, but still he radiated 'dangerous'. In a way, Raven thought he was kind of cool if his appearance didn't reek of evil pirate.

The crew of this vessel Raven and the Doctor had landed on all looked awed and fearful of this six foot tall giant.

"Mister Tanner!" Corentin called in a weak and yet commanding voice, weak as in it sounded like he'd spent years breathing dust and it had left lasting damage. Another man approached. This one less muscly, but equally intimidating. He had the eyes of a man who was always watching, but had a shaggy appearance. "Have the prisoners been processed?"

"We're just about to, Big Dog." Mister Tanner said in a clearer voice that was quite regal and didn't quite match his appearance. He sounded more like a book keeper than a pirate. "We're just in the process of takin' the cargo."

"I shall speak to them." The bigger man said to no surprise of Tanner, apparently. The scarred man approached the moustached captain of the ship, Corentins one good eye daring him to give him an excuse to do something nasty. "You know who I am." It was a statement, not a question.

"You're the butcher." The Captain hissed. "Big Dog."

"Then you know what I am capable of." Corentin said. "Tell me, what were you doing in our sector?"

"It was our planned course, and…"

"You know this patch of space belongs to us. We do not allow trade routes to run through."

"You're occupying them illegally!" The Captain said back.

"Illegal to who? A bunch of pen pushers in the Earth Alliance." Corentin snorted, "We operate outside the Earth Alliances rule. We made it perfectly clear to your government that this patch of Wild Space is ours."

"I don't see how. Your group is nothing more than a bunch of terrorists and bullies, a bunch of alien hating, human supremacist arseholes!" The Captain spat, genuine hate in his eyes.

"'Alien hating'?" Corentin questioned calmly without humour but his tone suggested ridicule. "Terrorists and bullies, you might have a case for. But I find it humorous how the Captain of a human crew accuses me of Alien hating?" Corentin's pirate crew began to laugh. In fact, some of his crew made different noises that were not made by human vocals. Looking around at the crew Raven found out why all these different noises were being made. Corentin, or Big Dog or whatever he was called, his crew were all different species under their armour. One was a dull brown humanoid with leathery skin and wrinkles on his cheeks. Another was green and lanky with only one eye where its mouth should be if it were human, and so on. The only humans were Tanner, Corentin and the one soldier who found Raven and the Doctor. Except for three, Corentin's crew was more diverse than this ships, whom were almost exclusively human. The captain looked utterly bewildered by this, as if someone had told him the sky was brown and bricks were edible. Corentin turned back to the ship's captain, his point made. "Never believe what the News Casts tell you."

"What are you planning to do to us?" The Captain asked with defiance in his eyes.

"Good question." Corentin said, "We're going to leave you alive. We'll escort your ship out of the system where we shall disable its engines and thrusters and leave it floating out in the void."

"You're condemning us to death!" The Captain shouted, "We only have enough food and water to survive two or three weeks!"

"Don't be so melodramatic!" Said Mister Tanner stepping around Corentin "We'll leave you with your communications array. You can call for someone to assist you." Corentin gently waved his arm and Mister Tanner stepped aside to give his boss the metaphorical podium.

"Of course, there is the chance that no one will come looking for you." Corentin said, "There are plenty of dangers in the void. Solar storms, space whales, the Wirrn." The 'Big Dog' took a drag on his cigar in his mouth to give the crew time to consider this. Raven knew what solar storms were, but knew nothing of these space whales or Wirrn things. She wanted to ask the Doctor, but he was too focused on the situation. Corentin removed his cigar and addressed the crew again. "However, you have the option to join us. Any who wish to leave the oppression of the Earth Alliance and join us shall be treated fairly and be granted a place within Safe Harbour, our home. All are free to join. We have no speech laws, no favouritism to any species, you will fly or fall based entirely on your merit. But remember, you enter Safe Harbour and you leave your prejudices, and whatever feuds you have at the door. Whatever transgressions one may have committed in the past, forget them. You may even choose to leave Safe Harbour whenever you please, but be aware that the Earth Alliance does not treat deserters with much respect. So be sure, be very sure."

The Doctor raised his hand like a school kid with a question.

"No questions." Corentin said, "That is the choice I give you."

"Oh no, I'm volunteering." The Doctor said cheerily.

"You are?!" The moustached Captain exclaimed.

"You are?" Raven echoed.

"What better way to get to the TARDIS?" The Doctor whispered, "I'm a doctor!" He called out to the pirates.

"Doctor? Good, we could use some more med-techs." Corentin spoke. Then his one good eye fell on Raven. Their eyes met and Raven felt a cold shiver run down her spine like he knew her. Raven held her gaze and her breath.

"This is my niece, Raven." The Doctor said, putting his hands on her shoulders in a protective, parental way. "She's under my protection." The Time Lord gave Corentin a warning look.

"No harm shall come to the girl." The tall man looked into Raven's eyes again. She could tell that he did recognise something but couldn't put his finger on it. After staring for what felt like more than a comfortable moment Corentin broke his eye contact. "Anyone else?" He asked and several others put their hands up.

"You'll all be punished for this!" The moustached Captain shouted to his crew as more hands went up. "If only my old crew were here, we'd sort this rum lot out." He then rounded on the Doctor. "And you. Stowaways! How dare you throw yourself in with his lot!"

"Perhaps I wanted to." The Doctor said in a playfully, mysterious way. "Perhaps I stowed away knowing this ship would be attacked."

"A spy!" The Captain concluded.

"Why is it always got to be a 'spy'?" The Doctor asked, "You take all the fun and mystery out of it all."

"Do you know what the penalty for spying is?" The Captain fumed.

"Is it any lesser than the penalty for stowing away, only without the pot of tea beforehand?" The Doctor asked dryly. Though externally Raven was none reactive she felt something in that quip tickle her mind with humour. The Captain clearly didn't appreciate the attempt.

"It is rumoured that the Earth Alliance has it's methods of dealing with traitors." The Captain said ominously.

"So I gathered." The Doctor said, then added flippantly. "I've survived torture before. Last time, I was tied down to an uncomfortable chair and forced to watch all the unfunny bits from Monty Pythons Flying circus."

"You mean there were funny bits?" Raven added flatly. The Doctor had sat her down to watch shows like Monty Python, the Goon Show, the Goodies and so on, all classic British comedies that were so old and stale it felt more like her brain was being assaulted than entertained. She thought they were all childishly stupid, and not once did they raise a laugh out of her. Not one… Okay, that bit about Brian not being the messiah, but a very 'naughty boy,' she'd struggled to keep that laugh down; and the bit with the Black Knight, again, she'd struggled to keep her frown in place. But apart from that, she could proudly say she remained as stone faced as a statue.

"Don't mind Raven." The Doctor said, "She's a bit of a philistine. You know, she doesn't even like the Goodies!"

"Somehow, I think the universe can cope with that revelation." Raven said dryly. The Captain looked from one of them to the other like they were insane.

Over half of the ship's crew joined Corentins pirate gang, or Raven assumed it was a pirate gang. The Doctor and Raven got up to join the rest as they were herded up and into shuttles to fly to wherever Big Dog was based at.

There was one soldier who seemed to delight in pushing and shoving Raven. She kept her anger in check, but it was really pissing her off that he'd singled her out. She looked back and saw it was the soldier who thumped her in the stomach. He shoved her again, he was certainly going to get it if he kept doing that.

Sadly, Raven and the Doctor were being transported separate from the TARDIS, which meant there was no way of slipping away and escaping.

The one thing Raven did feel was the gaze of Corentin. He kept glancing at her like he knew her, and it was starting to creep her out. Raven had no idea where Corentin was taking them all, and what for, but she had a nasty certainty it wouldn't be for anything angelic.

* * *

 **To Be Continued…**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** I decided to add in some flashbacks to Raven's time in Azarath as a younger girl in this storyline because I think it might be interesting to explore, and if it works it'll be mirroring something that's going on. ;)

I couldn't find much information on what Azar was like. So I wrote him as Dumbledore/elderly Obi-Wan Kenobi kind of mentor.


	82. Chapter 81, Push and Pull Factors

**Chapter 81**

 **Push and Pull Factors.**

Raven washed more water down the plants stem. The water trickled in the low light of the dozen or so candles she had floating in the air around her room. The curtains were drawn despite it being so bright outside. She didn't like the light, she felt happier in the dark, she felt happy when she couldn't see the world around her. This room was her world and she'd dressed it up the way she wanted, dim, dark, giving off a feeling of foreboding, there was also a musky smell too which added to the macabre atmosphere. This was her space and she liked everything inside, everything, except for this stupid weed. This yellow and green weed. She hated green, she hated yellow. They felt 'warmer' than dark blue. It gave off a false sense of kindness and security. Look deep into how the plant functions and you see the darkness, the parasites which feed off it, the disgusting viruses, the pores and pits which, if magnified, would look like a scary alien world. Everything was creepy, if you looked deep enough. Raven just chose not to hide her creepiness from the world. Was she dangerous, was she evil? She didn't thing so. She just saw the world a different way, but it was a view of the world people found upsetting to their own sensibilities. She was fascinated by the dark and mysterious that most people reviled. Which is why the presence of this potted plant irritated her so. It stood out like a sore thumb in her little shrine to the dark.

Raven had been 'looking after' this plant for the best part of a week and whatever lesson Azar was trying to teach her, it just wasn't coming to her. Did he just give her this task to get her off of his back? Was he hoping she'd look so deep into this that she'd find an answer, or at least some bullshit answer that didn't really answer anything?

Raven was cynical, yeah, so sue her. She'd been reading plenty of popular books from Earth, some of which put doubts into Raven's head about 'wise people.' Were they really, truly wise or is it all just hype? Speak vaguely enough and ignorant people will look into it for years to decipher the words. Eventually, you'd find an answer, but that didn't mean the wise guy had the answer in the first place. If it wasn't for the fact that Azar was her tutor and seemed more tolerant of her differences than the other monks she'd probably have just dismissed him entirely. She'd just nod her head with his teachings while underneath she'd resent them.

Still, she poured more water over the plant. It was a weed, it was tough, it was resilient, it would survive so much and still remain standing. Did it matter if she watered it? She guessed the answer was yes, a weed might be tough but it could still dry out and die.

With it sufficiently watered Raven placed it on her desk, folded her arms and looked at this yellow flower. She raised her hands and waved her fingers to channel power. She muttered a string of spells in a language long dead. With intense focus she forced the weed to turn from yellow, to dark blue, and then to black. Now that was more like it. She liked how it looked like the shadow of the plant rather than the plant itself.

She held the head of the little flower between her fingers and stared into it's void-like, dark petals, they were almost hypnotic now. Gently, she rubbed the petals again like it was some cute, little creature.

But disappointment followed as the blackness began to crack and wilt away as the yellow of the flower broke through to shine brightly again.

Raven's fingers gripped tightly around the head of this weed and she was tempted to pull its head off for daring to disobey her. She'd pulled the stem to it's breaking point. But she stopped pulling and allowed the stem to relax as she forced her own frustration down. She'll try again later, and hopefully make the change permanent. If she had to keep this flower in her own, dark space then it would bend to her will and become what she wants.

* * *

As they flew to their destination the Doctor decided to find out why so many people defected to join Big Dog's pirate crew. Raven was tempted to just sit and meditate, but the Doctor twisted her arm to make her be more sociable. It didn't take much social skill to make them all talk about their problems, it sounded like they all wanted to say this stuff for a long time, but for some reason could not.

It was all very political, and for the most part Raven kind of blanked out. God, politics was just so boring, and people seemed to get really needlessly emotional about it all. But to sum it all up. Some felt the Earth establishment wasn't listening to them anymore, treating them like they didn't matter, or that they were disposable or even just an inconvenience to be brushed aside for more 'important things'. Instead, the establishment were focusing, and favouring, and tailoring everything to new commers and refugees from the war. Those words 'new commers' and 'refugees' weren't very descriptive, but she quickly caught on it was a polite way of saying 'aliens'. Going by just their words they all said they had no problem with alien species living on their planet side by side, they just felt their own concerns were not treated as important enough by the Government to address as those of the newcomers. Their concerns and complaints were dismissed as just prejudice or just 'human issues,' so they could be dismissed in the eyes of the Government and the media. They all spoke these words in a familiar and dismissive tone Raven recognised.

" _We don't care what you think, you're just a demon!"_ Echoed a common slur from the past in Raven's head. She could understand being dismissed purely because of where you came from.

What did kind of surprise Raven was this was a common complaint by some of the aliens too. Apparently, they too would tell the Government their concerns and complaints, and they felt like their concerns were being dismissed as just more 'human issues' despite the fact they were aliens.

That was bizarre, and the demon girl didn't know if she believed it or not.

But the one thing that got under everyone's skin, human and alien alike, was the heavy restriction of something called the Galax-Net. Like the internet of the 20th century, but much more expansive. It apparently allowed everyone to talk to each other via social networks over super-lightspeed connections. But Earth Alliance began snooping on peoples private conversations, and when people began saying things the Earth Alliance didn't like then there were heavy consequences. Character assassinations, -misquoting and wilfully misrepresenting what one has said to paint them as something nasty.- Y _eah, welcome to my world._ Heavy fines, and imprisonment were the preferred methods to maintain control of the populace and manage their 'thoughts'.

It all sounded very 1984 to Raven, and she honestly hoped such a civilisation would never come into existence. But apparently, it did for the Earth Alliance, they just got the date wrong.

"Is Earth Alliance really like that?" Raven had asked the Doctor. He just shrugged.

"I don't know. It could all be propaganda. Perhaps they really do believe it, but it's not as bad as all that. Allowing everyone to communicate so well is a marvellous thing. Knowledge and wisdom can be spread through the galaxy and for such a low price. However, what can also spread are falsehoods, lies and cons, and the saying goes, 'A lie can be halfway around the world before the truth can finish tying it's shoe laces.'" The Doctor said as he played with his yo-yo. "The lie just has to have a kernel of truth in order for it to take a hold in someone's mind. Or perhaps the politicians have grown out of touch with their common voters and are following their own quests to do what they firmly believe is good despite everyone else. Or, more than likely, they do what they think will secure them the vote in the next election, not realising the common view has shifted. That's politicians for you. Everyone is just a faceless tick or cross on a voting ballot, you only have value come the next election. Once the vote is cast, you don't have value anymore."

 _God, politics is boring._

"Do you think this Safe Harbour place is just more propaganda?" Raven asked. "A simple, 'yes,' will do." But the Doctor ignored her.

"Could be." The Doctor agreed, his eyes looked quite distant. "Sometimes when people get desperate for change, for something new, they'll gravitate towards what looks good, never once wondering if it's a trap or if it's something worse. People never vote for the demon in office, they vote for the angel they present themselves as."

By what everyone in the hold were saying, Safe Harbour, sounded like a utopia. It was rich in minerals and resources, it had a society were all forms of life lived together peacefully without prejudice, _-yeah, right.-_ There were no speech laws, you could say whatever you wanted, the other person just had to be big about it and walk away, and no exemption was made for any species, race, colour or creed and so on. Raven liked the sound of that. You could even protest the Government if you so wished. Though the line was drawn at physical forms of protest. You could talk shit to a person, but the line was drawn at actually beating the shit out of them. Their local 'intra-net' wasn't regulated nor filtered either.

It was presented as a place of ultimate freedom for all.

However, Earth alliance didn't like people who tried to escape to it. It was apparently only presented as an evil place to stop people going. It was also presented as alien-hating in an attempt to stop aliens migrating there too. Most of the population of Earth Alliance believed this, and so the subject was a social taboo. But leaked footage to the Galax-net painted a totally different picture. Aliens and humans living together peacefully and working together to build something. The footage was taken down, censored and the person who leaked it was now one of Earth Alliances most wanted.

What they all failed to mention at the start, however, was how order was kept. The place was under the control of a militia. A kind of private army of retired and forgotten soldiers and veterans of recent wars; and it was all under the control of Big Dog, he was the King Pin, hence the name Big Dog. Which made this 'Utopia of Freedom' more a dictatorship.

The only big rule of Safe Harbour that kept being reiterated again and again was that 'you left all prejudices at the door. You hated the Rhanda for an injustice committed against your species? You forget it. You blame the Polliox for the state of your own planet? Forgive and forget it. You blame humans for causing so many galactic wars. Forget it! No one individual is guilty for the crimes of their species, their creed, their likeness. In Safe Harbour everyone has equal opportunities, equal representation under the law, because the moment you step out of your Star Ship, the slate is wiped clean. A new start.'

Or that's how all the propaganda went.

"Sounds like Utopian nonsense." The Doctor scoffed. "Differences cause friction, and some peoples tolerances for that friction can be short."

"I don't buy it either." Raven said, "Big Dog is evil."

"That's a rather scathing review of him." The Doctor said, "Considering you've never met him."

"I just know." Raven said vaguely.

"Do you?" The Doctor said, "There is no such thing as good and evil as you or I understand it. Everyone does all kinds of things because they think it good or angelic. That being said, that means a lot of hurt can be done in the name of 'goodness' and 'progress'."

"I know he is evil." Raven repeated, looking at the door to the hold as if it were the giant Big Dog. "I can sense it in him."

"There's something..." The Doctor trailed off and he looked like he'd withdrawn into himself to think because he was totally still and his eyes were staring forwards. God, she hated when he did that.

* * *

"We've made planetfall." The Doctor said suddenly a few hours later. He took out his yo-yo and played with it a little. "We are on a planet, the gravity doesn't fluctuate."

Raven didn't bother saying it, but she could guess they were right back on the planet the TARDIS couldn't escape from earlier. Which meant even if they could get inside and take off, they could never leave. Unless Big Dog was willing to give up the Time Ship and give both them and the TARDIS a lift to the edge of the interference field they were stuck on the planet. Perhaps they'd even be trapped inside the TARDIS.

Actually, that wouldn't be so bad. No more adventures, no more stress, no more people. It would be just Raven, her library, -yes, she'd decided it was her library,- the quiet solace and solitude of the TARDIS and her Doctor to keep her company. Plus, the endless supply of tea and waffles, and ice-cream and strawberries.

Heaven.

Sadly, she was snapped out of her fantasy as both she and the Doctor were split up and were given medicals. But there was no creepy doctor asking you to strip so they could inspect you, instead she just passed through a red beam of light. Set into the wall of this long corridor was a long window in which people in surgical clothing looked at monitors. An image of Raven's skeleton was projected into the screen at the back and they were pointing out certain fascinations with her skeletal structure. She was half demon, did she possess some demon physical traits?

"Are you feeling okay?" Came a voice over a tanoy system. "Do you feel sick? Warm?"

"I'm a little hot." Raven said in her quiet, relaxed monotone. Actually, she was a little too hot, so much so she flapped her cloak out and pulled at the neckline of her winter attire. She wished she could just change back into her usual, leotard. No way was she going to make it to this frost fair before she melted.

"Have you come into contact with any other ill people?" Said one of the people at the monitor, over the tanoy.

"Huh?" Then she realised, "I'm not sick. I'm just dressed for winter." She parted her cloak to show her form hugging, yet greatly insulated attire with the white frills around her hips.

"Why are you dressed like that?" They'd asked.

"I wish I knew." Was the only answer they got out of her.

Next came some kind of evaluation where they asked questions about where she came from and why she was here. She was vague on all answers and they clearly weren't satisfied with what she was giving them.

Name: Raven Roth

Species: Human

Gender: Female, -the other options being male, uni-sex, undecided or robot.-

Age: Seventeen. -She must be seventeen by now, right?-

Previous Occupation: Travelling Monk

Special talents: Psycho-kinesis. -They thought she was joking.-

Education: She'd actually said the 'College of Azarath' and the 'University of the TARDIS', but they eventually just put her down as 'Home Schooled'. The woman asking these questions gave her a look. Was being 'Home Schooled' a bad thing?

Siblings: None

Religion: Prefer not to say.

Relations: One uncle. She called him the Doctor but she knew she had to give him a real name. Would it have to tally with what the Doctor said?

"Where is my uncle?" She asked, "Shouldn't he be present, him being my guardian?"

"We're having a little trouble with our scanners." The female doctor said, "It keeps double exposing his body." So the Doctor's two hearts were confusing the scanners. A small smirk played upon Raven's face. She could affectively name the Doctor this time.

What would be a humiliating name he wouldn't like? Rattling her brain she couldn't really think of one that didn't sound childishly silly. Technically, as long as she got to name him first before he could do the usual thing and name himself John Smith then she'd greatly annoy him. The female doctor was waiting for an answer so she said the first name which came into her head.

"He's called… Sirius, no wait, Percy, Percy Weasly." She fought the evil smile on her lips.

As she was led from the interview room she spotted the Doctor coming the other way, flanked by escorts. Since she was not able to tell him verbally she projected her mind into his and communicated telepathically.

" _You're name is Percy Weasly."_

" _Huh, what?"_

" _They asked me your name, I named you."_

" _Raven! Why Percy Weasly?"_

" _Why does it matter?"_

" _It's the principle of the thing."_

" _Tough! Nah, nah! Nah-nah, nah!"_ She sent rather childishly.

" _Two can play at this game!"_

" _Too late, they already asked mine."_

" _We'll see."_

Raven was left in a small waiting room where she could wait for the Doctor. He took a very long time so she tried to busy herself with some magazines she'd found in a rack. Like all light reading it was dull, opinionated, and she could feel her brain rotting, so she ended up putting it back.

The door opened and stood in the frame was the Doctor. He was smiling a playful smile Raven did not like.

"Come along, Dorothy dear." Raven's face fell and her eyes adopted a horrified look. "… What?"

"I said come along, Dorothy. We've been cleared to enter Safe Harbour." The Doctor motioned and Raven came towards him, her eyes staring daggers at him. Over and over in her head she was chanting one thing like a mantra.

 _DO-NOT-PUNCH, DO-NOT-PUNCH, DO-NOT-PUNCH, DO-NOT-PUNCH, DO-NOT-PUNCH!_

As they were escorted onto the next stage in the process Raven asked telepathically.

" _How did you change my name?"_

" _Guardian privileges. They needed your 'proper name' so I told them 'Raven' was a name you dreamt up yourself. After that, I had the choice of the English language."_

Raven tried to remain calm, but underneath she was seething with humiliation. For now, she was 'Dorothy Roth'. She felt disgusted.

She turned her head to look at him, and caught his eye. He was still smiling despite her glowing red eyes. Her voice projected a slight demon like, threatening tone as she said.

"Don't ever be alone in the dark again, ever!"

* * *

 **To be Continued…**

* * *

 **Authors notes:**

Push and Pull Factors is a geography term and means what pushes people away from one country, and what pulls them towards another. In this case, people feel the world is too 1984 and they wish to escape to somewhere with more freedoms, like a kind of civilised Wild West place.

This part of the story was based on stories I read about people escaping from *cough-cough* a certain country where the population is greatly controlled.

In the Audio Story the Twilight Kingdom, I remember the eighth Doctor did come into contact with a kind of private army and he was sceptical that it presented itself to be something angelic. Which is part of what this story was inspired by. Obviously, there is going to be something strange about Safe Harbour, and the Doctor and Raven are going to uncover it.

The political views in this chapter do not necessarily reflect my own.


	83. Chapter 82, Safe Harbour

**Authors notes:** Sorry this is taking so long. I've been scratching my head over how to write this chapter, because though I want to describe Safe Harbour, I wanted to avoid it becoming pretentious, or read like I'm pushing some kind of propaganda. I'll just say Safe Harbour is not meant to be written as any kind of perfect utopia, but there is a reason why it is the way it is. Which I'll get to in a later chapter.

* * *

 **Chapter 82**

 **Safe Harbour.**

The final few steps of the application process included a general knowledge test, questions on physics, maths and the like. The Doctor likely aced all of it, Raven on the other hand did have some trouble. Maths was never her strong suit, she hardly needed it on Azarath, but she knew how to add up, subtract, multiply and divide. So she wasn't totally useless.

What in the hell even was a 'quadratic equation,' and how could you 'simplify it'?

Finally, they were asked to present any certificates of higher learning they had. Raven had nothing, she wouldn't carry such things around with her. Who the hell would? But the Doctor, good god, did he carry everything with him? He'd handed over a medical degree from Glasgow, one that was marked as a low grade, and dated 1890, apparently, a degree from the University of Oxford 2012, and Cambridge an honorary degree dated 1960.

"Wilkin will vouch for me, he was always very good at keeping track of these sort of things." The Doctor had said. _Was Wilkin famous, or just a passing friend?_ Raven wondered.

From there, they were assigned positions and roles. The Doctor was given the position of a teacher in the school. Raven didn't envy the students who'd have to listen to his boring lectures. Their administrator then moved to leave, but Raven interjected. "Wait, what am I supposed to do?" She was genuinely interested in what use they'd have for a psychic.

"Role?" The woman smiled as if this was a joke. "Miss Roth, you're hardly of age for a job. You're going to school. You'll be one of your uncles students." Raven's brow dropped a little further. She didn't even look at the Doctor. She just said in a deadpan.

"Can I be deported?" The administrator just laughed, she thought it was a joke.

* * *

In all honesty, Safe Harbour was no different to most places Raven had visited in her travels, though the first thing to assault her was the intense heat of the planet. Raven really wished she'd changed her attire when she had the chance.

The place was busy with plenty of activity going on for a small colony of a few thousand. Not far away from the space port was a market had been set up where humans and aliens alike traded whatever they had to sell. There were more humans than aliens, but perhaps that was to be expected, it was a human colony after all.

The one thing that did stand out was the militaristic feel of the police force. They were all dressed in heavy, bulky gear like they were ready to fight. They all moved like military police too, very disciplined and very official. They openly carried weapons, but kept them holstered. They didn't seem trigger happy however, in fact they looked relaxed enough that Raven didn't feel threatened. The Doctor however was looking around at them a little warily.

"Guns make me nervous." He whispered to her.

"Then I have a horror story for you." Ravens eyes drifted over to a stall. The Doctor turned and his face and body language slumped a little. It was a weapons stall selling guns. All kinds of weapons were on sale, from energy weapons to projectile pistols and rifles. All were locked behind wire-mesh cages to prevent theft. Though there was an open display case where some weapons were free to pick up, though they were chained to the stall by a heavy chain and a flexible metal rod going straight down the barrel and out the back.

The Doctor shook his head. Raven didn't understand why. Okay, guns killed people, but you needed to protect yourself sometimes. Not everyone could be telekinetic witches or genius Time Lords with a confidence and attitude to talk down the most homicidal of species. If anything, the guns kind of put her at ease. If this place was anything, it wasn't a police state like 1984, no police state would tolerate the common man buying and owning a weapon. Though Raven did question if selling them at a market stall like this was a very wise idea.

She took one in her hand and was surprised by the weight of it. Before she could do anything with it the Doctor took the guns barrel and forced it from her fingers in a movement that forced her to let go of it. He then placed it back, holding the barrel between his fore-finger and thumb like it was the most disgusting thing. Raven just rolled her eyes at his behaviour.

A little ways further on they both stopped at a stall selling fruit where the Doctor negotiated the exchange of goods. This place still worked on a monetary system of some kind, and the Doctor exchanged some bags of gold dust from his pockets for two apple looking fruits. The stall owners eyes practically bulged at how much the Doctor was willing to pay. Raven didn't care if the Doctor over paid, she needed to cool down. When she bit into the fruit her taste buds lit up like they'd been shocked. It was so sweet and a little tangy, more like solid honey with a hint of apple. But best of all they were also refreshing and so cool that Raven felt her core temperature cool down a little. Before she knew it, Raven had a large paper bag full of the fruit jammed into her arms, same with the Doctor. He'd clearly bought more than he'd intended. The Time Lord tried to give the fruit back, but the alien was insistent that the Doctor had paid for them.

Raven couldn't complain, she liked these fruits, though her expressionless face didn't express her delight. Raven had only turned around for two seconds before the Doctors bag of fruit had mysteriously vanished. The top of the paper bag was poking out of his pocket. So his pockets were bigger on the inside!

 _I knew it!_

After a little further wandering and several, gradually warming fruits later Raven was then drawn to a café, one with air conditioning, she could feel it blow over her as she passed the door. She took the Doctors arm and forced the Time Lord inside despite him wanting to look at a stall selling hats. The hats weren't going anywhere, but Raven was rapidly melting, and she needed the Doctor to buy her an iced water.

"How can you wear all that and still be cool?" Raven asked him of his usual, frock coated getup as she gulped down a bottle of ice, cool water.

"I can regulate my body temperature a lot more effectively than humans can." Raven wished she could, she was so warm she couldn't even be bothered to reply to that with her usual sarcasm. "You know, in Mexico the common practice to cool down is to eat something hot and spicy to raise your core temperature, not lower it." Raven gave the Doctor a look. He'd promised her a Frost Fair and instead had given her a Magma Market. It was his fault she was in this heat as far as she was concerned.

"What do you think of Safe Harbour?" He asked.

Raven shrugged, "It's like everywhere else we visit." Raven had no overall opinion on it, other than the rumours about it being a terrible place were clearly wrong.

"Yes, but everywhere has a distinct flavour." The Doctor said, sniffing the air like the place actually had a scent. It did have a kind of 'golden' sent to it, but that might be because of the sunny warmth, than it was down to a specific scent. "Though I agree, this doesn't seem like a bad place. Everyone looks relatively happy and content. The guards look scary and intimidating though."

"Shouldn't they?" Raven asked, but she got no answer.

"But on a scale of Airstrip One to Manor Farm I'd say the place is a lot more like the America's after the War of Independence." The Doctor said, Raven was none the wiser. She only had a loose understanding of American history. "America used to be peppered by British colonies. In the 1760's King George the third of the British Empire imposed unfair taxes on the Americans without consulting with the local governing bodies of the colonies. The Americans were always big on their civil freedoms and didn't take kindly to being pushed around like this. Many of them left Britain for that reason in the first place. So, in an act of rebellion…" The Doctor started talking about the Boston Tea party and how it led to a revolutionary war with the British Empire, when the colony declared independence.

"Sounds a lot like Safe Harbour." Raven reasoned.

"Exactly," the Doctor said, "Britain also used to smear the American colonies when they declared independence. When you can't influence how people behave, they try to influence how they see you."

"So you don't think this place is evil?" Raven asked.

"By the look of it no. Back in the day Britain slandered the Americans for being 'uncivilised.' It was the insult of the era to describe the 'unlike,' or the 'ideologically different.' But in this time of political turmoil in the Earth Alliance the common slur might be about alien hating. Most humans are awful at fact checking, or even thinking sceptically in general, they listen and believe anything they're told as long as everyone else believes it too. But that's humans for you, you can all be so adorably stupid and not realise it." Raven wasn't sure if she should take that as an insult. She decided not to, because she had to face facts, it was true.

"As fascinating as this is," Raven said, fainting disinterest. "We should work on finding the TARDIS, I have no intention of baking myself to death."

The Doctors eyes looked up, around and behind Raven. "I dare say, we'll get to ask Big Dog about it."

"What makes you say that?" Raven asked.

"Because we have a pair of military gentleman standing behind you looking all official." Raven turned, almost bored and saw the two law enforcers standing behind her.

"Doctor…" the man paused, "Weasley?" The Doctor smiled.

"It's the name that was given to me." Raven was annoyed that he wasn't more annoyed.

"Big Dog would like to speak to you, sir."

"Oh, marvellous. We'd be delighted." The Doctor began to raise his hands in surrender, Raven, still bored, followed the Doctors lead.

"Why are you doing that, sir?" The soldier asked, "You're not under arrest."

"Aren't we?" The Doctor looked genuinely surprised.

"It would honestly be the first time." Raven said.

* * *

Big Dogs personal quarters weren't exactly the Ritz. It looked like any other building in the colony. It was a prefabricated building, clearly built to be taken down and put up at short notice. Despite that, it still looked warm, dry and functional, and going by the rust on some of the bolts it had been up for quite some time.

As the Doctor and Raven approached the door the soldier who brought them held up his hand to Raven to stop her.

"Sorry, Ma'am. Big Dog said he only wanted to see your uncle." Raven gave the soldier a look, one which said, 'you couldn't stop me if you tried.'

"Let's not make a scene now." The Doctor whispered into her ear. "I'm sure I'll be safe. I'll be back soon."

"I'll be ready to rescue you." Raven said in a tone which suggested she was mentally rolling her eyes.

"Rescue?" The Doctor scoffed with a wave of his hand and he followed the soldier into the shelter.

"Yes, rescue." Raven said once the door closed. But she wasn't just going to wait outside like a good little girl. She followed the Doctors mental signature to one of the back rooms. From there, and with great focus she could pick up on the conversation.

"This is the man?" came Big Dogs gruff voice, "He certainly fits the profile. Male, eccentrically dressed, intelligent eyes."

"I beg your pardon?" The Doctor asked.

"Doctor John Weasley Smith?" So the Doctor had changed his name back. "Or should I just call you, 'the Doctor'?"

"Ah." Raven imagined the Doctor holding his hands up in defeat before dropping them back to his sides. "So you've heard of me then?"

"With LINDA running around the Earth Alliance it's difficult not to know about you." LINDA? Unpleasant memories filled Ravens head. "Then when I found your blue box. Your 'Police Box.' I knew you had to be here somewhere."

"I take it you didn't invite me here for a cup of tea?" The Doctor asked.

"Not exactly, no."

"Good, milk and two sugars, please." The Doctor sounded relaxed like he'd just set himself down in a chair. "So, what can I do for you Mr. Big Dog?"

"You can start by telling me why you're here?" Big Dog had an accusing edge to his voice.

"Would you believe I'm trying to get to the Frost Fair?"

"Not really. You never land anywhere without the intent to overthrow what you think is evil."

"And who told you that?" The Doctor asked, "Oh, let me guess. LINDA? Well, let me put you at ease, most of my adventures involves me stumbling into the situation rather than actively fighting it. In this case, I was heading for the Frost Fair in the 1800s"

"Unlikely," Big Dog spoke, "But it does have the ring of truth."

"It does?" The Doctor asked.

"It does?" Raven echoed to herself.

"You don't sound like you're being facetious, and if you wanted to deceive me you'd have come up with something better." Big Dog said. Raven could hear a subtly crackling noise, followed by Big Dog blowing air. Presumably he'd taken a drag on his cigar.

A door opened and something rattled in. It sounded like a trolly, one with a squeaky wheel.

"Ah, tea?" The Doctor questioned, "a civilisation that knows good tea etiquette can't be all bad."

"So you've heard the Earth Alliances narrative?" Big Dog asked, his tone was hard to read but there was tension in it.

"Well, I've yet to see all of it in the limited time I've been here." The Doctor said, he sounded like he was stirring his tea. "Is this the bit where you try to convince me that it's not so bad and try to get me to leave?"

"No." Big Dog said firmly, "I want to know if you think this is a good place."

"I'm sorry." The Doctor sounded like he didn't know what to think. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, is this a good place? Is there something we can improve? We are a relatively new colony, and I'd value the input of a Time Lord whom has likely seen plenty of civilisations over the years, you must've seen the rise and fall of many systems of government. I want to know if the system I picked is a wise one."

"Umm… I'm not sure…" the Doctor genuinely sounded like he didn't know what to say to that, "which answer won't get me shot?"

"None. Speak freely." Big Dog sounded sincere.

"Oh… Why do you think I should be the judge of that?" The Doctor asked. "I'm no god, and I'm really no authority on this matter."

"That's not how LINDA paints it." Big Dog sounded surprised by the Doctors answer.

"LINDA does tend to glorify me somewhat. The 'Doctor' that LINDA knows is just a fiction, a compilation character of peoples personal, cultural preferences, and in some cases partisan propaganda." The Doctor took a sip from his tea cup.

"The legends state you are capable of seeing many points of view." Big Dog said, he sounded like he made some kind of movement or gesture.

"No, thank you." The Doctor said, "I gave up a long, long time ago."

"Probably for the best. They're bad for your health." Big Dog again took a drag on his cigar.

Whatever he was saying now was being drowned out by a hissing sound coming from around the corner from where Raven was, and near the front of the building. Raven decided to investigate. She kept to the shadows, more so she could remain cool than to hide. As she peered around the corner she saw a skinny man, a human, only with a shocking shade of cyan coloured hair wearing a black hoodie. He was spraying something on the side of the building in green spray paint, a symbol of some kind.

Raven moved around to get a good look at the symbol. It was some kind of circle with an arrangement of straight lines within, six lines. One along the lower semi-circle with five lines coming off it with four pointing upwards and a fifth sticking out at an angle. It was like a crude drawing of a human hand.

"What are you doing?" Raven asked the man. He jumped out of his skin at the sound of her voice.

"You can't shut me up you bunch of Daleks! I…" he stopped when he spotted her, "Oh… sorry, I thought you were the Dals."

"Daleks?" Raven had yet another memory of someone she didn't like.

"You're an 'other person', aren't you?" the skinny man said.

"Other person?" Raven questioned. The man looked her up and down as if examining her.

"A none human." Was that judgement based on her skin tone? Not that Raven cared. It was just another echo of a certain someone she didn't like. He then looked back at what he was painting on the wall. "Don't worry, I'm not with 'them'. But I am trying to expose them for who they really are. You'll all be free in no time."

Raven didn't speak but she did have questions. Like, "What the hell are you talking about?"

The man shushed her as he continued to finish spraying the strange logo. Then he stood back to admire his handy work. He took out a device from his pocket, one that flashed as he pointed it at the wall. The device had a screen and a 3D image of the wall and the symbol appeared as a hologram in front of him. He smiled with glee as he began typing away on the device. It must be like one of those mobile phone type devices from the 21st century.

Once he was done, the hologram, within seconds had a shower of images falling around it. Symbols that either looked like 'thumbs up' or angry looking red faces. What was going on?

"OI, You!" came a shout. Two guards had spotted them. Raven wasn't worried, but as she turned back to the skinny man he'd gone. He'd taken off and was making a run for it. One guard sped past Raven while the other approached her and roughly took her by the arm. "What the hell do you think you're doing?! You're in big trouble, little missy!"

"Somehow I'm not surprised." Raven was surprised however when her arm was twisted around her back. It didn't hurt, but it meant she couldn't move. She got the feeling if she didn't cooperate then he'd lift her arm and cause her pain, it was that kind of lock.

The other soldier was back soon, now holding the cyan haired man in the same lock. Raven half expected the cyan man to turn up dead, shot through the back while trying to escape or something. But both guards had their weapons holstered.

"You lot can't leave alone, can you?" The guard said, "Frickin' vandals!"

"I'm here to expose you and free the enslaved aliens here." Cyan man spat. "You frickin' human, why can't you see you're acting like a bunch of Daleks!"

The soldiers lifted their visors. Their craggy skin and yellow eyes indicating that these creatures were anything but human.

"You were saying?" The soldier asked, his serpent like tongue slipping out to taste the air. The Cyan man took a moment to compose himself.

"You're a bunch of traitors to your species!" He spat. "Don't you care about your own species culture, and heritage?"

The man never got a reply as he was being manhandled away.

"This is just victimising!" Cyan man cried. Raven raised an eyebrow, then looked at the symbol he'd painted on the wall of the house. Then Raven herself was being pulled away.

"Hey, I'm not with him!" But they didn't listen as she was dragged away. All she could think about was how embarrassing it'd be if the Doctor had to rescue her now.

The cyan man was cuffed and forced into the back of a buggy like vehicle that sat on the road. Cyan man was again cuffed, this time to the back seat. Then the guard extracted the device the cyan man had used earlier.

"Hey, that's mine!" He shouted. But the guard wasn't listening as he opened up the device and the hologram of the wall reappeared. The guard then typed into a computer on the buggys' dashboard. A box appeared over the hologram saying 'uploading to paired device'. Then the hologram changed. It showed a birds eye view of Cyan man spraying the symbol onto the wall.

The cyan man looked horrified, then he went totally white when the guard pressed a button and text appeared over the hologram stating, 'uploading to the cloud'.

"No!" the Cyan man screamed.

What? Didn't he want people to know he'd sprayed that logo? He wanted someone to know it existed, but didn't want them to know he'd made it? What did the symbol mean? Raven was confused, but not interested enough to ask questions about it. She just wanted to get this sorted and get out of here.

"I'm not with this guy." Raven said again calmly and coolly.

"That's true, she has nothing to do with me." Cyan man said.

"Two humans, both with freaky hair colours caught painting the 'Hand of Mother Terra' and you're not together?" The guards' tone suggested ridicule.

"She's not with… wait… she's a human?" Cyan man looked at Raven, she didn't like the look he was giving her. He again looked her up and down then at her face. "Actually, yes, she is with me. She's my life partner."

Raven couldn't think of what to say to that, except to stare daggers at the Cyan man. Raven was cuffed and placed in the back seat of the buggy along with that skinny, human arsehole.

"Wait, my uncle is seeing Big Dog." Raven tried to tell them, but they didn't seem to buy it. The cyan man turned to Raven, horror in his face as the guards climbed into the front of the buggy.

"Your uncle works for the Butcher?" Cyan man said as if it was the most disgusting thing she could've said. "First you appropriate the Galari skin tone, now your uncle works for the leader of these Daleks? The Galari are not some fashion for you to exploit. They're a species the human race has oppressed and exploited for too long. You should be ashamed of yourself!"

 _Oh god, he even talks like her!_

Raven began banging her head on the back of the chair in front of her.

 _Why does the Universe hate me?_

* * *

Raven didn't resist as she was dragged into another building, this one much more solidly built. This was clearly their jail.

She could escape, it'd be so easy. But she also rationalised that if she did, then the whole colony would probably be on the lookout for her anyway and it'd just cause more problems. Better to just play along. After all, what was she going to be charged with, vandalism? Unless this place had harsh punishments for such behaviour Raven felt that she was in no danger. By the way they'd manhandled her rather than threatened to shoot her the crime wasn't a serious one, but one they took seriously enough to arrest her.

The charge was indeed, vandalism, as Raven found out upon being brought into the building. A person in a guard uniform, this one a green, cactus like alien asked what the pair were charged with. They weren't even asked for their names, the alien just wrote down the name Dorothy Roth. -More angry redness flushed to Ravens face.- The name of the cyan man was written down as 'Hedgy', and they were further dragged away and shut behind bars in separate cells. Unfortunately, the walls that divided those cells were just a wall of bars, meaning she could hear Hedgys continued moaning.

"Hey, I want my com's device back!" He'd shouted, "and I want that video you uploaded deleting! This is cruel! You can't take my device away, that's taking away my personal rights!" But no one paid any attention to him, but still, he refused to shut up.

Raven sat down in a crossed legged position and decided to spend the time meditating. There was nothing else to do. At least the place was air-conditioned, she could feel the breeze on her face, it was glorious.

While in her own mind Raven was conscious of Hedgy. He sounded and felt like he was greatly agitated as he sat on his bed. His finger twitched and his emotional state felt unstable. But then again, it was hardly stable to start with. He was subtly grinding his teeth, and even ran fingers through his hair a few times. Was the confinement doing this?

After what felt like not long enough the guy stood up and shook the bars of his cell door so they rattled loudly. "I want my device!"

Now it was Ravens turn to grind her teeth a little. He rattled the door again and Raven finally decided she'd had enough. Ravens eyes snapped open, glowing white.

Hedgy froze, his face looked surprised as his body relaxed like all strings had been cut. Then, with her fingers splayed, Raven held her arms out and using her powers she treated him like a puppet and forced him to take a clumsy step back, then another, and another, until he was at the bed. Raven made him climb on top of it, lay down, close his eyes and she left him temporarily paralysed. While leaving him conscious through the whole experience.

So sue her, he dragged her into this mess, she wasn't about to let that go unpunished, nor was she prepared to sit listening to his childish whining.

She did consider slowing his metabolism down so much that he'd appear on the surface to be dead. She imagined what thoughts would go through his head as he'd be wheeled into an autopsy room. The spell, however, would break when poked with a sharp object, like a surgical scalpel. It was so tempting to do, but no.

No. It would be too cruel. But she was still so tempted to do it.

"Brutal!" Said a voice from the next cell along. Raven didn't know there was someone else in the prison. But a figure detached itself from the bed sheets and stood at the bars looking across Ravens cell and over at the frozen person. "Did you do that?"

Raven didn't reply, but her hooded eyes rolled to the new person. She was older than Raven, maybe in her late twenties and wearing a loose fitting, black shirt; a long dark red jacket, and a black scarf in a loop 'n through knot. She also stood with an air of confidence that contrasted with her childlike features. Her pair shaped face still radiated a youthful and yet pretty, action girl kind of vibe to her. She whipped her pony tail as she turned her head.

"Oi, can't you talk, sunshine?" She said in a clear, English accent.

"Not to you." Raven dismissed.

The woman made a cat like noise to mock Ravens behaviour. "No need to get all defensive and stuff. Hey, if you have powers like that why not just escape?"

"Escape would be pointless, my… uncle will come and collect me." Raven closed her eyes and tried to meditate again.

"I take it you're not with the 'social media junkie', then?" The woman asked pointing a thumb at Hedgy. "Little Mister, 'Everyone I Dislike Is an Evil Dalek'?" At least the woman shared Raven's dislike for the guy and it was for similar reasons. "Don't be too hard on him. Social Media Junkies can mean well, but their focus isn't to help people. It's to get that dopamine hit of social interaction. These days, protesting isn't about trying to change the world, it's more like a fashion statement, or a cry for attention." She laughed, "Doesn't sound so bad, until your cause is overran by self-serving narcissists' who'd run everyone else out for 'not protesting the right way or the right people'." God, this woman couldn't shut up. How long had she been locked up? "I can't stand Social Media myself. It's all so artificial and robotic. I tried it a few years ago. It was just so depressing."

Though the ramblings of the woman were ultimately fascinating, -of course Raven was thinking sarcastically,- the demon girl herself did not speak, she had no interest in talking or making friends.

"A right chatter box, aren't you, Sunshine." Okay, that irritating thing Raven was going to nip in the bud.

"'Sunshine' is not my name." Raven said at last. Her eyes opened. "My name is Raven."

"Raven? Like the crow?" The woman sounded like she approved of the name. "Wicked!" The woman exclaimed giving Raven a thumbs up, though it was an attempt at friendliness Raven couldn't help feeling more patronised.

The jail door was suddenly opened and a new guard walked in. Raven didn't recognise this one, but he was quite short, with green-ish, brown leathery skin, scales across his cheeks and forehead and lips that looked chaffed and craggy.

"Oi, you! Lieutenant 'Doofus' Dreyfus" The woman spoke up to the new comer. His eyes were also a sickly green with a long, cat like iris. A long tongue flicked out and tasted the air. "How long are you going to keep me here? I didn't do anything!"

"Quiet, girl!" The leathery creature spat, his voice was low and gravelly, like he was permanently parched.

"Girl?" The woman scoffed, "I wouldn't be surprised. Skallak's have never been big on feminism."

"I am not familiar, nor interested in your primitive religions." The Skallak said back. The woman looked like she was going to protest, but held back.

"Dorothy Roth?" Raven's fingers closed into a fist at the name. "I have received word from Big Dog, you are free to go."

The woman in the next cell burst out laughing. "Your real name's 'Dorothy'?!" Raven ignored the jibe and stood up.

"Hey, don't be bitter. It's a naff name, I know the feeling." The woman said, "My names Dorothy too, Dorothy McShane. Or it used to be. That's why I changed it like you did." She stuck her hand threw the bars in an attempt at greeting. "These days I call myself Ace."

 _And that's not a dumb name?_ Raven thought to herself, but didn't respond to the Ace woman. Raven just walked out of the cell and towards the jail door trying to ignore her. "Oi! Right little princess, aren't you, Sunshine?!" Ace shouted after her.

Raven didn't want to be around another nosey, talkative woman again. The last time Raven did that she ended up nearly killing the womans' baby.

Just before she left though, Raven made a subtle hand gesture from under her cloak, one that cancelled the spell on Hedgy. Instantly, he began complaining and screaming for his com device, and unlike Raven the irritating Ace wouldn't be able to make him shut up.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Authors notes:** Sorry I'm taking so long. I have a notion of where I'm heading, it's just figuring out how to get there naturally.

Why is Ace even there? You'll find out in a future chapter. ;)


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